#honestly feels like some Mary Sue shit a lot of these but oh well dreams are dreams

[eldritchwyrm]

season 4 episode 14 ("goodbye iowa"):

oh we're doing frankenstein now. the practical effects must have been really fun to do

the difficulty with killing off prof walsh is that a mad scientist, to me, is a much more interesting villain than a monster? i do love a good practical effect tho.

whoever made that post a while back about clutter in film/tv sets was so right. the spaces in this show are so wonderfully cluttered! panning through xander's (mom's) basement, you see all sorts of random stuff -- some crutches behind the blocky tv, crates with clutter... it's supposed to be a messy space, but there's an implied story to all the stuff that i often feel is missing from productions in the last few years.

on the other hand, there's always the possibility that this impression is totally off-base and is just sort of a media nostalgia thing? the vintage feeling of the sets and the more colorful, brightly lit interiors (as opposed to the frequently mocked ultra-shadowy aesthetic of contemporary film) might be pinging bits of my brain and making me feel it's more cluttered when it isn't.

um. why does xander have a shirt with "i <3 dirt" written on it?

on that note how come riley and co have a poster labeled "Balls." that just has photographs of various sports balls on a white background. how come that's a thing they keep putting in front of the camera every other scene.

why are black characters in this show almost always inexplicably evil............

on that note, how come this fictional uc campus is almost all white??? like????? has joss whedon ever BEEN to a uc campus? i'm suspending my disbelief on the basis that southern california has seen a lot of immigration & resultant demographic change over the past two decades, but even with the time difference factored in, it's deeply weird to not see any brown people on a uc campus?

nooooooooo not spike's tv set omfg....... the casualties of war....

season 4 episode 15 ("this year's girl"):

i think i'm just in a bad mood rn because this episode is not hitting for me at all, despite being fairly well written. there's lots of good stuff: faith is here again, buffy is being evil in dream visions, buffy's side of her romantic dialogue is competently written and sweet in a very realistic way. but it's just not hitting for me. hmm.

in this episode willow wears a dark t-shirt over a light long-sleeved shirt and a floor-length skirt. i know this is just late 90s/early 2000s fashion but i can't help but think of it as "roselalondecore"

season 4 episode 16 ("who are you?")

i put the show down for a few days and returned to it and NOW we're talking. this is THE GOOD SHIT. actors pretending to be their own character who is secretly another character pretending to be their own character. the watcher council is doing something fucked up. faith is vriska.

the motif of faith mocking "because it's wrong!" turning into "because it's wrong /srs" at the end was well-written

tara got to be helpful! and not as a team, but on her own!

the tara/willow development is very good

season 4 episode 17 ("superstar"):

this ep feels like it's partially a commentary on self-inserts and maybe the way people interact with fiction more broadly?

makes me think about all the wild stuff i've seen in self-insert fanfiction. in one longfic from [redacted fandom] i saw several years ago, the self-insert protag was a mary sue of the old breed, and in addition to being extremely good at saving the world, she would take time off to be a world-class figure skating prodigy. figure skating did not exist in the original canon setting and no explanation for the worldbuilding change was given.

and tbh that's GUTS. that's SPIRIT. it's easy to laugh at from the outside, but in truth, that's a deeply honest and sincere approach to writing and i can really respect it.

honestly i need some of that energy in my own writing. i think it was cat valente who said that in order to write a novel in a month, you simply can't afford to waste time not believing you're a genius? gotta internalize that

season 4 episode 18 ("where the wild things are")

spike continues to be delightful. his "well this might as well happen" expression is very good

tara/willow development is deeply charming

i want anya to be just a liiiittle bit weirder than she is, i think. just a liiiiittle bit wackier, meaner, stranger, whatever, so long as it's more.

aww giles gets passionate about treating teens right, that's cute

further reactions to btvs season 4 episode 7 ("the initiative"), previous liveblogging here, and also this is the link to the beginning of my season notes

the transition/reveal for TA guy's secret was really well done, it was perfectly paced, just, the slooooow realization set in and i was like nO. NO WAY OMFG

and. THE PROFESSOR TOO??????? ASJDHFKASJDFKAJSDF ASJFKASJDFKJASDFJKASJD

this episode is unhinged holy shit

buffy and the not-so-random TA are from different genres

spike has spent this whole season running pathetically from various dangers. i am HERE for it.

season 4 episode 8 ("pangs"):

me when i realize this is a thanksgiving episode: oh huh maybe it'll be cute! or ironic!

me when i realize they're centering the plot around a chumash artifact: uh. i am not sure i trust joss whedon with this material

at one point a character says "the chumash used to be indigenous to this region" WHAT DO U MEAN "USED TO BE" there were chumash kids who went to my high school lmfao shut the fuck up

i guess that answers the question of which uc campus "uc sunnydale" is supposed to be.

i really want to concentrate on spike's tremendous poor little meow meow impression in this episode but joss whedon is making it REALLY HARD

i'm scrutinizing this mission interior shot like "is this the [redacted hometown location] mission or were the spanish just chronically uncreative"

season 4 episode 9 ("something blue"):

y'know i was just thinking "hm it's been a while since we had a willow-creates-a-magical-mishap episode"...

me muttering to myself: secondhand embarrassment is the fun-killer

impeccable. no notes

season 4 episode 10 ("hush"):

i had to google weetabix. i've heard of it many times via pop culture but i didn't actually know what it was. i'm distressed by the fact that wikipedia is saying the phrase "breakfast cereal" but showing something that looks distinctly milk-less. it looks like a brick?

poor giles needs a break

did? they say? tara? is that? THE tara?

oooh i KNEW the vocal recognition thing would come up in a later episode, hello everyone it is i, the plot anticipater

lotta great gags so far

i enjoy the blocky monitors and futuristic-for-1998 aesthetic of the underground organization; this episode has a number of quick cuts between them and the main characters that enables parallels and contrasts between the futuristic paramilitary aesthetic and the aesthetic of "we're at giles' house wearing graphic t-shirts and dusty ancient tomes are strewn across the table"

this episode is fun because it highlights how incidental dialogue is to much tv. viewers tend to prioritize dialogue in some ways, but often the dialogue is just filler, or telling audiences what the visual language is already shouting.

periodically this show is like "hi. we would like to remind you that giles has game. it's very important to recall that giles has game. this has been a psa"

[bluewithpurplepolkadots]

Honestly I often go for months, years between having dreams I can actually remember but I’ve had two this week.

The first one I had I dreamed of an unnamed goddess. Or rather her name simply didn’t come up in the dream. She wasn’t worshipped any more really, which I was somewhat aware of. However I had, apparently, somehow, deeply offended her.

She looked like the oracle from that Aladdin sequel, The King of Thieves:

Like I said: I had somehow deeply offended her, to the point she was trying to kill me. I remember being on the coast of some sea side town and another person I was talking to about it going ‘Jesus Christ, is she throwing a missile at you with her bare hands?’. But for some reason I just sounded tired and said ‘She‘ll try’, even as the other person started screaming as they looked through a telescope at her.

I got the impression that she had been trying to kill dream me for while now but never had succeeded so I was getting a little bored. (Very strange aspect of my dreams: I’ll often have what should be nightmares but my dream self does not react appropriately, at all. I’ll usually be annoyed or angry. Sometimes nice. But not scared: which is funny because in real life I’m a wimp.)

Anyway she beefed it and dropped the missile on herself on the small island she was standing on. She shrank to a more human size. Then I was on a boat and went towards her as she seems to be on her knees. I helped her stand up onto it with me and she suddenly decided that meant we must marry. Oddly enough that somehow unnerved dream me in the dream far more than the murder attempts. Because marriage of course was a big deal. Then I woke up.

In the second dream I dreamed that I was trying to talk to Hercule Poirot into helping me but he was busy with another case. I was also holding a baby. Defeated, I slinked off back to my car. I think I was parked just outside an American city of some kind, though I still drove on the left so clearly my mind is incapable of proper research.

Anyway this bitch of a blonde woman who I think was in her mid 20s looked at me mockingly and said ‘Aw were you trying to get help? So sad’ And she sat in the passenger seat with a knife at my face as her husband (a big burley muscle man with black hair who looked like one of the evil exes from Scott Pilgrim) sat behind with the baby in a booster seat. (Their daughter). The man said nothing but he was consistently a silent observer who could clearly break my neck without trying.

As it turned out this couple had kidnapped me as use for transport and a babysitter during their vacation or whatever across America (?!). Anyway I liked the baby in the dream but absolutely haaated the parents and knew in my heart they would kill me eventually. I pictured my body buried under rocks.

But later on in the dream they were taking photos near a cliff during a scorching hot summer desert day (is there a desert near an ocean in America?) and I, being in a foul mood, and being in the car still: basically drove violently forward into them, throwing the man completely off the cliff to his death. The woman however (who was just badly injured) was spitting blood and yelling that she would kill me but I just reversed and then drove off.

Then I realised I still had the baby in the back seat but then I just said ‘Hey want to go to New York?’ And the baby laughed and then I woke up.

[codenamesazanka]

Warning: Rant, character bashing, lots of opinions

I'm saying it outright. I hate Deku. He is entirely underwhelming as a character, much less as the main character, the shonen protagonist of the series.

It's a 'different' type of dislike, though. I feel like I could've like his character. There's nothing greatly disagreeable about him, he's as inoffensive as can be, he's an optimistic, considerate, and polite boy, he's as plain as he is said to be, and that's fine.

My issue is that he's not the character he's said to be. I, personally, just don't buy that he "possesses a drive to save others that eclipses all common understanding", or that he's super intelligent with great analytical abilities that he actually applies on the battlefield, or, in general, he's as amazing or heroic or compassionate as he's apparently supposed to be. How can he be inspiring if he barely challenges any aspects of the society he lives in. Deku is a super good example of the terrible use of "Tell, Don't Show". We're told about his amazing traits, but he rarely follows through; when we do see hints of it, it's lauded but frankly I think it's typical behavior and (this though is not quite his fault) written so stiffly and awkwardly I'm not convinced.

(Honestly I might even call him a Canon Mary Sue. He has no interesting or distinguishable flaws, unless having a shit for brains attitude is one but that's not acknowledged by the narrative. Breaking bones is not a personality trait. If he has a Hero Complex, it's not even the interesting ones where he fucks things up even more; or carries crippling guilt about circumstances beyond his control; or focuses completely on saving people to the point of rejecting almost all human connections and keeping deadly secrets - which is All Might's big flaw.) (Well fair, he does this in the most recent chapter but did it need to take 300+ chapters? Plus I sense the way it's framed is that it's the radical, but right course of action.)

Say what you want about Villains and redemption/shouldn't be redeemed/too evil to be saved/justice/etc, but I think this 'Incredible Drive To Save' should've included Villains from the start. Why does Deku want to "Save people with a smile on his face"? Assuming it's empathy, he should have felt some towards everyone he encounters, whether it's sensible or not. "Why are you so angry?", "You shouldn't go about things this way", "What caused them to be like this?", "Why is there evil in the world?" even. I'm still fuming over his Mall Encounter with Shigaraki, where Shigaraki pretty much reveals his damage: "All Might acts like there's no one he can't save"; but ultimately Deku goes "Wow, that sure is an opinion."

What kind of inane response is this??? There's little pushback from the narrative either, so this isn't pointed out as a failing of his (because, again, he has no big flaws). And he's supposed to be smart and caring. Yes, he does ask All Might right after the Mall Encounter, "Was there anyone you can't save?"; but essentially the replies he gets is "Don't worry about it" and Deku immediately largely puts it out of his mind "Oh whew, I was about to do some introspection and reflection". There isn't even the daunting, kinda-existential anxiety that people get when they realize it's impossible to save/help everyone - which is something, like, medical workers have to learn to deal with - that sharp sense of the inevitably of death, of loss, failure, guilt. I'm not asking for him to come to the conclusion that everyone should be saved - he could've decided nah, Shigaraki is too ugly to be saved and I would've been fine with that, it's part of the character role and potential development - just that he should've had a conclusion at all.

There are the latest chapters where Deku decides he wants to try saving Shigaraki first (though killing him is still on the table), true. Him wanting to save Shigaraki after seeing AFO merged with him, after seeing The Crying Child - but see, I don't think it qualifies because I think it's the bare minimum about of consideration, the typical response to seeing the body horror of warped, fused flesh, to seeing a small sad little boy. I think it shouldn't require "You look like you needed saving" for a true Hero to consider saving someone. Not for someone who is supposed to be unique and special in this regard.

*

I've complained about this before, but the trouble with Deku was evident from the very beginning.

Again, Deku wants to save people with a smile on his face, and again, I’m assuming it’s empathy. We're shown this on the very first page, as he attempts to protect a friend(?) from bullies, but imo like it felt groundless because who was the kid he was protecting? We never see him again. Did Deku's standing up to Bakugou work, and the kid was saved? Or did they both got beaten up; but afterwards, being the kind boy Deku is supposed to be, he still gets to his feet to help the boy, to apologize for failing.

But more significantly, this theme of saving was overshadowed immediately by his focus on superpowers - that he was quirkless. Next page, his focus was on ‘Woah, giant villain and superpowers!’ Instead of like. Helping people. (Though I chalk this up to early installment weirdness)

What should’ve happened if the theme was ‘SAVE PEOPLE’ Is something like: The opening sentence being “People are not born equal. This is the harsh truth I learned when I was four. I knew that... but despite my powerless, I still wanted to help. That was my first and last setback.” And the panels/images themselves (of little Katsuki and his friends) implies that people on the world thinks you need power to help people.

When he saw the villain attack on way to school, Deku can be wow’ed by the spectacle! But then he notices a kid crying and offers to help find his mom. He can be interrupted by a Hero saying he (the hero) will take over, he can find the mom and realize he’s late for school (and so that shows he’s willing to sacrifice something of his to help others! Because of his altruistic nature!). A scene like that, of him helping the lost kid, we would know that he wants to help *anyone*. At school, though, he still gets bullied for not having powers. So he’s mulling over that when he meets All Might, and asks the question.

It proceeds as usual for the next few events: When the sludge monster attacks Katsuki, he can still go gawk at the scene. He can still hesitate. In canon, it's only when he realized the victim was his friend that he jumps into action, which I thinks undermines the theme of 'wanting to save indiscriminately'. IMO, it would've been better that Deku sees it’s his friend, but he still hesitates. “There’s nothing I can do right? All Might himself said so...” But when he sees Katsuki’s *face* of fear, he runs to help. Instead of seeming like he helps only because he realizes it’s his friend, he helps because he feels too deeply about trying to save Katsuki.

Admittedly these are minor, personal critiques; but all in all, the first chapter fails to establish Deku is the willpowered, champion of wanting to save people he's supposed to be.

--Which is fine, if it's acknowledged in the story later, that maybe he wasn't the True Blue Hero he's supposed to be at first, but he can change and still become one. But it's not - Deku is apparently special, without anything special to show for it.

*

I read the one-shot "My Hero" - the prototype for this series - that Horikoshi published years ago, before My Hero Academia was created. I also found it underwhelming, but that was due to personal tastes (I wanted more explosions and dumb violence); as a story on it's own merit, the logic and progression was solid.

The Villains Heroes fought were 'Aberrations' - true inhuman monsters that showed no sentience that would eat people - so the focus could be solely on saving humans. The main character - Jack Midoriya - his original goal was less 'save people' and more 'become a cool hero', before learning that saving people is what true heroism is about, hero license unneeded. (Moreover, he really did 'save' someone without being a hero - by working hard, he was preventing the company from becoming ruined completely, which the CEO had confessed and thanked him for. )

This version of Midoriya didn't exactly needed deep empathy or compassion for that, just a strong willpower, which he effectively demonstrated by chasing after a childhood dream even as an adult salaryman in a tanking company, even though he had anemia and no training and no license. He insisted on this, to the point of getting hurt by being dumb, of being petty over someone dissing the Hero who inspired him in the first place, of skipping out of work and going vigilante. Not the most upstanding guy, but he came through in the relevant themes of the story, in being the character the story needed him to be.

Jack Midoriya was an unimpressive, weird-looking, weak, pitiful, somewhat selfish, awkward salaryman with no great aspects that 'eclipses all common understanding'. But he was a far stronger character than his incarnation Izuku Midoriya could ever be (so far).

[canonicallysoulmates]

Walker 1.06

This was….okay. I liked it more than I thought I would...

Let’s just get into it.

This is the first episode where there is no case. Sorta. Kind of. The focus of this week is that it’s the one year anniversary of Emily’s death so the case elements are about her murder and it’s a part of the episode but it’s not a focus.

The episode is like divided into three groups of characters, everything they’re doing comes back to Emily’s death but each group is doing their own thing: there’s Liam and Captain James, Cordell, Micki, Trey and Micki’s mom (yes, Micki’s mom), and the final group is the grandparents, the kids, and Stella’s wannabe boyfriend.

So, I’m gonna follow that same format and go group by group and at the end put it all together.

First up is Cordell, Micki, Trey and Micki’s mom.

Walker is in trouble, because if you remember in the first episode he punched a guy who spit in his face and mentioned Emily so now Walker could lose his job due to unwarranted use of excessive force. Cordell is taking things calmly because while it’s not right things always tend to fall in favor of the cop (in this case ranger) but Micki is worried because his cowboy ways is costing the department a lot of money and he could lose his job. She’s even more worried when out of the blue her merciless shark of a psychiatrist mom shows up and it’s revealed she’s gonna be the one to do Cordell’s psych evaluation.

While that’s going on, it’s the day of the anniversary of Emily’s death and Cordell received a call from Geri letting him know she plans to sell the bar cause she thinks its time to move on and she’s been made an offer by a developer. I don’t really care for that set, they have not done enough to make it important to the audience but for Cordell it’s a big deal since that was Emily’s favorite place and it’s where the two of them and Hoyt and Geri used to hang out. So, he dumps the plans he had made with his kids to go camping in honor his wife’s memory since that’s something she loved to do, except not really but she was quirky and said things like “not all things have to be good to be good” something she apparently said all the time and yet her kids didn’t know- that character is such a fucking Mary Sue but I’m getting off track, point is he comes up with some bs and stalls the deal Geri was making with a developer and decides he’s gonna fix up the bar himself. Oh, yeah, the night before a section of the bar collapsed so a lot of the episode has him trying to fix it.

And that’s where Micki trying to be a good friend and partner finds him and tries to warn him and prep him for her mom who if you haven’t guessed she doesn’t have the best relationship with; she’s worried that her mom is gonna use him to teach her a lesson, she knows her mom is not gonna go easy on him, that she’ll make him look guilty and is gonna suggest they take his badge.

Cordell is a stubborn fool who’s dealing with his own personal shit and ends up stapling a nail unto his hand with the nail gun he was using. Not gonna lie that was funny af 😂 And then because he’s not the sharpest tool in the shed, and he doesn’t wanna risk losing the bar, he decides that removing the nail himself is a better option than going to the ER, so with Trey’s instructions and Micki’s help he gets the nail out; he is so lucky he didn’t damage a nerve or make things worse. And luckily for him, Micki’s dating an army medic so Trey goes to check up on him and bandage him up. Trey who brought along Micki’s mom, Adriana.

Her and Cordell don’t exactly start off on the right foot on account of Cordell going on the defensive as soon as he meets the woman.

Defensive, by the way, is pretty much Walker’s middle name in this episode: he snaps at Trey who was patching him up, he yells at Micki, who was just trying to be a good friend and help him not just with her mom but with fixing up the bar, more than once; he is filled with anger and grief and is just a ticking bomb and it all comes to head when all the work he and Micki had done collapses again and makes an even bigger mess. 

And that was where the show made a big mistake, because we know Cordell has a lot of bottled up anger that has been building inside him and he’s been letting out in short bursts- it’s why he’s in trouble and has to go through evaluation because his anger got the best of him! And it’s a big focus of this episode with him he letting his temper get the best of him a couple of times so there’s all this build up but there’s no payoff.

After all of their hard work collapses, Cordell snaps and he grabs a chair and he smashes it to the ground but Micki stops him from destroying anything else. And I get it, they don’t wanna keep destroying the bar and he’d probably feel really shitty if he did but he needed to have that breakdown, the show needed him to have that breakdown. He needs to let out all that anger he has build up and sometimes the only way to do that is to scream and break things and have a physical release of everything that’s inside you. And it’s a shame that the show pulled back from showing us the full extend of Cordell’s grief and anger, that they didn’t let the scene play out.

On the other side of town we have what’s gonna be our group two: the grandparents, the kids and Stellla’s wannabe boyfriend, Trevor aka the dude she met at the stables where she’s doing her community service.

As I had said, the kiddos and their papa were supposed to go camping in honor of their mom but he bailed to go and try to fix the bar, so the kids decide they’re gonna go anyways on their own but since they can’t drive Stella decides she’s gonna kill two birds with one stone: honor her mom, and more importantly get some time with the boy she likes. So she contacts Trevor to give them a ride but turns out the grandparents are tagging along on the camping trip something Stella is not happy about cause you know she was hoping to get that alone time.

Anyways, she has a little back and forth with her grandma and in the end they end up taking the dude along with them in the camping trip. 

While that’s going on we go to our group three: Liam and Captain James. They have the most interesting part of the episode, and the “case related” portion of it. Sadly, they don’t have nearly enough time dedicated to what they were doing, and this isn’t really a focus of the episode it’s just part of it; as you know, they are re-investigating Emily’s case and it’s a good thing too cause apparently they did a shit investigation the first time around.

They go to the prison to talk to the man who confessed to Emily’s murder but shocker he ain’t gonna tell them shit, so they decide to go to Hoyt who is in the same prison with a nice little deal, they’re gonna put him in the same cell as the guy to get info, in exchange Hoyt can get a reduced sentence.

In just two hours, that fucker manages to give info that leads Liam and James to a major breakthrough. Sherlock Homes, doesn’t work this fast! That was way too easy, too fast, too clean cut- too plot convenient, show seriously. 

So what was the major breakthrough? Can’t tell you that yet.

Back to Cordell, after his almost breakdown and a conversation with Micki where he admits he’s pissed and tells her he’s gonna plead guilty, he calls up his dad and asks for him to turn back around and bring the kids to the bar. Since the bar was Emily’s favorite place, that’s where he and the kids are going to camp in honor of her memory. The next morning Geri shows up to tell them the guy who is buying the place is gonna tear it all down and use the lot to build some condos but Cordell and the kids come to the conclusion that was seen coming from a mile away and is impressive it took them this long to get to: that they should buy the bar. So, Geri sells it to them and they’re gonna fix it up with Emily’s life insurance money. I’m sure I’m supposed to find this a really nice moment but as I said, they have not done enough to make the audience be invested in this bar, and I’m sorry but the fact that it was his place to hang out with the wife is not enough to make me care about it.

Anyways, Micki returns home after her conversation with Cordell, where she admitted that she’s avoiding her mother cause she doesn’t wanna accept that her mom may be right about her, to find her mom cooking with Trey who she seems to get along with and honestly why wouldn’t she the man is a dream son-in-law. Side note: the man speaks Spanish so he has officially moved up even higher on the hotness scale 🔥

The episode wraps up with three major reveals- well, two major reveals and one sorta expected one.

The first one comes curtesy of the info Hoyt provided Liam and James. He told them about the dude’s niece and their shared love of art which seems insignificant but it’s what leads James to find out the girl owns a small gallery that is somehow making big money. The gallery has someone making repeat purchases, with money coming from a bank in Austin that started two days after Emily’s murder. And from whom is the money coming from? Straw Ring, LLP which is the LLP Geri used for the bar. So, she had something to do with Emily’s death.  

Honestly, to me this reveal wasn’t that surprising cause she always seemed like she was hiding something about that day. 

However, the other two shockers from the end did surprise me. 

The second reveal is that there’s a warrant for Micki’s mom and they arrest her!

And last but certainly not least, it turns out, Stella’s wanna be boyfriend: Trevor, is Clint’s - the leader of the team that Cordell ran with back when he was undercover as Duke - son! And he recognized Cordell from a picture of his dad’s and went and told him! I knew that boy was trouble! Out of the three, this was the thing that shocked me the most and left me literally screaming.

And that was the epi!

Like I said at the beginning, I liked this episode more than I thought I would; I was actually sort of expecting this to be the first episode I didn’t like because all of the focus was on the wife arc but it actually had some aspects and scenes I really enjoyed.  

No surprise to anyone that among the things I loved are the Cordell and Micki scenes, y’all know I love that relationship and how they’re helping each other become better people and deal with things. Trey is always great, I’m so happy we got to see him interact with Cordell I hope that’s something we see more of, the parts that were about the mystery and case of Emily’s murder were surprisingly some of my favorite, up till this point I hadn’t cared much for the mystery. The kids for once weren’t annoying which is an appreciated miracle. Not sure how I feel yet about Mama Ramirez. The ending with all the reveals was imo the best part of the episode.

So, there were definitely parts that I really liked and enjoyed, however, as a whole this ain’t my favorite epi so far. Which is why, even though there are things that I really like I think it’s just an okay episode. 

I wish they had used the time they had better like I wish that instead of doing two flashbacks and a hallucination that they had done just one of the two and used that time for Liam and James investigation, or used that time to give us that Cordell breakdown.

And since I mentioned the flashbacks and hallucination let’s talk about them real quick; in terms of editing and placement the flashbacks in this epi were integrated pretty well and they technically served a purpose in the story because through the flashbacks we learn about Walker’s emotional connection to a specific decoration in the bar, a boars head he was gifted by his wife. Thing is though...it is as emotionally bland as a stale cracker. I'm not entirely sure what the point is of the wife flashbacks, I assume it's to...help you understand and connect with Cordell and learn about his marriage and stuff but honestly they're the worst part of the show; they're not used to their full potential, they're badly acted, they don’t really contribute to character development and they don't have the emotional weight the show thinks it does.

It would have been more impactful if they had turned the boars head into its own little mystery of why it means so much to him even though he doesn’t really like it, and then at the end when the kids are sleeping instead of seeing her he had sunk into the his memories of when she got him that thing and that’s when we get the flashback. And only one, no need to divide it into two.

The show wants the focus, at least of this season, to be the family and how they're dealing with the loss of someone so important in their life, this was the episode to show that they could deliver something meaningful when it comes to that but it didn't really do that; I felt bad for Walker, I'm rooting for him but at no point in this episode did I feel like crying with him or for him, and I think that may be why I'm not crazy about this episode because it didn't hit any emotional notes even though it was supposed to be an emotionally heavy episode.

There wasn't that impactful moment you know? That moment where you see the full extent of what a character is going through, this episode needed that and there was build up to it but with no payoff. (Which let me tell you is also a damm shame cause we know how amazing Jared is in emotional scenes and how much he shines in them.)

All that being said - and goodness gracious this post got long time to wrap it up - while overall I consider it just an okay episode there were a lot of good things about it enough for me to still like the episode, and to become really excited for what future episodes hold and see how things develop. 

[shanie-the-toyaddict]

A, B, D, E and O.

(Also R) FOR THE FANFIC ASK! (Thanks, Zaynee!) A: Of the fanfic you’ve written, which is your favorite and why? - Well, honestly, I’m partial to the dang *book* I’m working on now, but if we’re going with completed works,,, Oh heavens this is like picking my favorite child. Umm, Ok, I’m gonna go with my Earthquake fic. (To Earthquakes, Lovers, and Newfound Friends.) I’m picking that one because I feel like it’s the only time I’ve ever gotten the balance of OFC to Canon correct in a story. So dang many of my stories are Mary Sue by default nature of them being my dreams and in that story, it was more of a straight Zowens story with my blind ass being along for the ride. So yeah, going with that one.

B:  What was the first fandom you read fic in?  Which was the first you wrote fic for? 

- I first started reading fanfic way back on the wee baby interweb in about 96 or so. My first fanfics were about Xena: Warrior Princess and were usually Gabrielle/Joxer because for some idiot reason I thought Xena and Gabby were straight. (I was very naive and very silly.) The first ever fanfic I wrote was, surprise surprise, a Based-On-A-Dream WWE(F) Fanfic. It was around 1999, was called Last Man Living, and involved Vince McMahon forcing the WWF Superstars into a Hunger Games style fight to the death in Titan Tower. It was extremely disturbing (for the era anyway), painfully Mary Sue, and never got further than a printed out copy, which I later threw away. I will say that, for some ungodly reason, I wrote two free-writing sequels that were even worst than the first one, and I had a fourth one planned that revealed the entire saga was a dream, but my college roomate (who I kept convincing to look at them) begged me to stop.

D. What’s the most personal fanfic you’ve written?

- Um, I’d have to say the entire “That’s What Friends Are For” saga is extremely personal to me. Yes, the first part is on AO3, but that’s only because I haven’t orphaned/deleted it yet. I want to. Writing that entire saga was far less about putting out a story and more about me channeling my inner BPD monster into a therapeutic outlet. Of all the OFCs I’ve written? Ren Humphries is the closest to my heart and the most like me. That one is straight up self indulgent, self insert fic that was written to satisfy my own needs. Like I said, I really want to just purge it, especially as I have no intentions of publishing the rest of the saga.

E: What character do you identify with most?  Is there a certain fic of yours that captures these qualities particularly well? - Well, like I said, Ren Humphries is straight up self-insert, so there’s that. Outside of OFCs... Well, I’d have to go with a WIP here and say Joxer from my “Planeswalking Like A Grecian” story. It features Joxer (from Xena) after he’s grown old and is killed, but he still has his youthful appearance on the astral plane. And his characterization is a mixture of “Surprisingly Wise Adult” and “Useless fool.” It’s the opposite of the Mad Scientist trope, Joxer has High WISDOM, Low Intelligence, and that’s straight up Shanie to a T. I can give remarkably good advice on a wide variety of topics, but if you asked me to add fractions or do most basic math, I’d probably start crying.

R: Which writers (fanfic or otherwise) do you consider the biggest influence on you and your writing?

- Back in THA DAY, there was a McMahon Family fanfic author who had written a slew of fanfics and put them on the old geocities fan sites. Her name was (and forgive me if I’m getting this wrong) Catherine Semerjain and she had a style of writing the McMahon’s in a blended Kayfabe/IRL setting. Like, the settings and situations they got into were sometimes wrestling related, but their personas were usually equal parts of the gimmick characters and the real people. Like, Shane in one story had a attitude problem and hated X-Pac. But he also was a nice guy at his core and happily helped the guy out when shit got dangerous because, regardless of their bitter feud, Shane didn’t want to see him get legitimately hurt. Trust me, it worked better in the story than I’m making it sound. That blended approach is EXACTLY the same one I take when writing most of my WWE fanfics to this day, and it’s why I have such a fudding hard time figuring out “Is this Kayfabe Compliant or not???”

Regarding recent stuff, I’d have to say @Mithen and @coloursflyaway are my biggest Zowens influences, but dammit Zaynee if you haven’t given me some brilliant ideas to work with! You were the one who lit the fire first, so honestly, any past, current, and future Zowens fanfics are your fault because of you.

Wheeee, that was fun (and a lot of writing!) Keep em coming!

[earthbovndmisfit]

i got tagged by @yarewagon​ Thank you so much for the tag, pal!!! :D

All Time Favorite Character: Speedbert Bobwagon, of course~

Favorite Jojo: I don’t have a specific one, but if I have to choose, then I’ll probably go with either Jonathan or Jotaro.

Favorite villain: Main villain? I’m torn between Kars and Kira, but I’ll probably go with Kars because I really like the whole Aztec stuff and I really like the Pillar Men. Kira is an awesome villain, too. he’s a disgusting guy in general, but I really enjoy the whole serial killer plot. I’ve always liked reading and learning about serial killers irl and their motives and reasons behind their horrible acts and so on (psychology was one of my fave subjects in school), so it was really cool to have some of that with the unique jjba touch added to it. As for minor villains? Hol Horse. I love that cockblocking dumbass cowboy.

Favorite stand: Design wise? Star Platinum (SDC’s, mainly, but I also like SP The World). Killer Queen also has a really nice design imo. Ability wise? Hmm... Heaven’s Door, maybe.

Favorite part: Phantom Blood, followed by Battle Tendency. As mentioned above, I really like the whole Aztec thing there is to both parts –which is one of the first things that really got me when i first watched Jojo–, not to mention that I enjoyed the vibe there is to both parts (PB, especially, with all the Victorian escenery and whatnot). And, of course: Speedwagon is there, the man that stole my heart and made me fall into Jojo hell uwu

Favorite thing about jojo: The fact that the bizarre shit just keeps coming. Just when you thought you’ve seen it all, something new comes to prove you wrong. The designs are pretty neat, too, and its also got amazing characters and lots of feels. I also love that jjba breaks a lot of the established rules for a shonen from it’s time (the late 80s), such as giving us big buff men in crop tops, badass cinnamon rolls with hearts of gold and hot abs of steel, a bunch of homosexual subtext and much much more.

Hug: My dear Robert, of course~ but that’s a given so I’m going to add Jonathan as well. Both of them have gone through some serious shit and deserve all the hugs and love. Besides, they both seem like they’d give killer hugs.

Get or give comfort to: Same as above for giving comfort to uu Add SDC Jotaro and Polnareff there too. As for getting comfort from, it’d be Robert~ It will always be him uwu

Move out or Live with: The Ogre Street gang: Speeb, Tattoo and Kenpo :D They seem like a really cool bunch to live with and I really feel we’d get along well.

Marry: Do you really have to ask??? Speedwagon, ofc. I’d marry the shit out of him in a heartbeat

Character you relate to the most: Probably Kakyouin, feeling like he didn’t fit with the rest of his peers, never being able to make real friends and just..not belonging?? All that shit is something I’ve always dealt with (still do), especially irl.

Did jojo make a better change in your life? How did it help? Was it a big change or a minor change? Oh definitely. I started watching it during a really rough time of my life. It was thanks to jjba (Speedbabe, mainly, since he’s the one that really made me want to continue watching back then xd) that I could finally take my mind away from all that stuff bothering me despite The Sad™ plaguing the series. It’s been helping lots as well in different ways ever since. It’s also helped me a lot to improve my art as well as my writing and roleplay skills, not to mention that it’s also helped me learn and understand stuff I had limited knowledge on before, as well as improving further both my English and Japanese skills as well.

Self Ship or OC ship with canon characters?: I’m not really into self shipping cause the conventional way most people do it tends to be/feel quite... selfish?? There’s also the fact that I honestly hate myself with a passion, so I don’t think I could ever write or draw myself seriously, but I do like the idea of spending time with my babe, Speebs~ Which is something i’ve been “able to do” for the longest time now since he became my muse almost as soon as i got into jojo and has been so ever since xd (those of you who know me from my rp blogs know the way my muses work and what I’m talking about here), or the fact that I sometimes dream about him and so on. As for OCxCanon shipping, I don’t actively do that, cause I suck at creating stuff from scratch, but I’m not opposed to it as long as the OC is believable and doesn’t fall into the Mary Sue/Gary Stu type, whether it is in fanfics or rps or whatever. I mean, my first rp muse on this site was a canon character and one of his main ships was with a friend’s OC. I rp/write for canon characters, but I don’t rule out shipping with OCs as long as their author/mun is respectful and there’s actual chemistry between the characters, really.

If you had a stand which one would you like to have, which one would you most likely get with you past and demeanor? I’d like to have Heaven’s Door, or maybe Crazy Diamond, or Harvest. The one I’d get, tho? Idk... the most useless one you can think of, probably x’d

Dream activity, with who, where and how long: Spending the rest of my life with my sweet Robert, I don’t care where (knowing him, probably travelling the world together), loving him and making him happy until the very end uwu

tagging.... errrr, y’all know i’m an anxious mess and can’t tag people unless they openly tell me they’d like me to tag them in this kind of stuff so, if you see this and want to give it a shot, consider yourself tagged >:D (and feel free to tag me back or not if you’d like? i won’t judge you either way so go ahead and take it, fam :D)

[maxattack-powell]

The Freshman: 2-2 (NSFW)

The Freshman Book 2 - 2 Chapter 2: Welcome Back Party

Masterlist - go here for other chapters and related original fics

Disclaimer: The following are fics (adaptations from actual game chapters AND original works) to Choices: The Freshman and The Sophomore stories. It is a fictional adaptation. I do not work for Pixelberry Studios, the game developer or own the rights to the characters Chris Powell, Nicole or any other IN GAME character. All of the ORIGINAL characters, storylines and events were developed for my adaptation of The Freshman story.

Comments: I enjoyed playing Choices The Freshman… and then I found this awesome group of people and their works - I’ve loved it all, very much so. Deciding that I wanted more interaction than the options allowed, I’ve gone through the first book, chapter by chapter (omg painfully slow) to follow the story (95-99% I’d say) and add to it as I felt would benefit. Now I am doing the same to Book 2 as well.

Basically, I wanted to include certain things that weren’t really full fic worthy, adding more substance to the story. However, I did add some full size fic moments also… some are included in cannon chapters and some are their own full chapters in between. I wanted to see MC and Chris through their freshman year… with more angst, fluff, sweetness, real life and overall detail. So, if you like that pairing then you’ll be satisfied, otherwise sorry James & Kaitlyn fans lol. I even added some parts from Chris’s POV, so that we have a chance to see what he’s thinking, knowing what she experienced.

NSFW moments in THIS chapter - Mature Readers Only Please

Paring: MC x Chris

POV: ~MC~ or ~Chris~

~MC~

Still reeling from Vasquez’s latest assignment, MC leaves the professor’s office and walks across the snowy quad with James. She glances over at him to see his attention focused on the snow underfoot, his brow furrowed with concentration.

“Penny for your thoughts?” She inwardly grimaces as she realizes she sounds just like her mother.

“You look like you’ve got a lot on your mind…” She gives him a small friendly smile.

James doesn't look up as he begins to speak. “Yeah.. I’m still trying to decide how I feel about all this. I’ve been working on this play for almost a year now…”

After a few more steps he slowly looks up and over to MC. “Rosethorne Park is my best work yet… a love letter to the Victorian Era with a winking nod to modernity.”

He looks away again and shrugs. “But I kind of thought it’d just sit on the shelf and never see the light of day, you know?”

“This should make you happy though… right?” MC asks quietly.

"That’s what I’m trying to figure out. This is an amazing opportunity, and I should be grateful.” He lets out a big sigh. “Getting an agent like Yasmin Udoka is next to impossible, especially when you're just starting out.”

MC senses that he's not entirely enthused with the idea. “Then what’s wrong? Are you worried the plays not good enough or something?”

James glances at her quickly before shaking his head and looking away once more. “That’s part of it…” He sighs, “But mostly I just feel guilty. The only reason I’ll even have a cast is because you have to get me one, or Vasquez will revoke your scholarship.”

He stops walking and turns to MC. “I’m benefitting hugely from your… situation. I mean, would you even be doing this if you didn't have to?” He looks at her crestfallen.

“Yeah, you're right. Vasquez is basically forcing me to help you…” She sees his shoulder fall a little. “...but I’m far from upset about it.” James looks down at her curiously.

“Honestly, I would - even if I didn't have to. I want to help you realize your dream. I hadn't really considered getting involved in Hartfeld’s theater scene… but I’ll try anything once.” MC gives James a reassuring smile. “And if it helps you land an agent… well, that's reason enough to get out of my comfort zone.”

James lets out a relieved chuckle. “Thanks, MC. I’m glad you have my back.”

She snorts. “Just don't expect me to sing a solo or anything. And it never hurts to give me a big role, okay?” She playfully nudges him with her elbow as they begin to walk again.

He lets out a hearty laugh. “Well, Rosenthorne Park isn't a musical, but now that you've said that… maybe I’ll write in a song for you.”

He laughs harder at her wide-eyed stare. “How's your opera? Think you can match the Queen of the Night's Aria?”

MC shakes her head and speeds up her pace. “I regret everything.”

As they come within sight of her dorm building, James strokes his chin thoughtfully as they slow to a standstill near the door. “Do you think all of your friends will want to audition? My play has a pretty big cast… I’m not sure they'd be enough.”

MC nods. “You know, I was thinking about that. We’re actually throwing a party at our suite tonight. I don't know if it's good host etiquette to try to recruit all your guests for a play, but I’ve never been that into the whole social graces thing.” She flashes him a shit-eating grin.

She cackles as he closes his eyes and almost chokes on his own laughter. “Besides… we need to hold auditions starting tomorrow. We don't exactly have a lot of options.”

He gives her a small smile and nods. “You make a good point.” Then he frowns, his brows furrowed with concern. “But there's one role that's going to be a little tougher to cast. Lord Rathbone, the villainous country bachelor.”

He sighs as he looks down in concentration as they stand there. “We’ll need a veteran of the stage. Someone who can really sell the performance and make audiences hate him.”

MC’s eyes go wide. “As far as I know, there aren't any acting prodigies on my guest list…”

James looks at her and pauses for a moment before speaking. “Mind if I add one? One of my prep school friends is a sophomore here at Hartfeld. I still remember his lago in our school’s performance of Othello. I’d never seen someone transform himself onstage like that... It was terrifying, in the best way possible.”

“So long as he doesn't make us call him ‘Lord’ throughout the whole production, I’m sold.” She gives him a wink.

He catches her humor and gives her a sincere laugh. “I can't guarantee he won't do that, but I’ll give him a call. I’ll come by your party later tonight… hopefully with our future Lord Rathbone in tow.”

“Sounds good. By the time you get there, I should have a whole cast of actors ready for you.” She pats his upper arm and starts towards the dorm doors.

“I owe you one, MC. Closer to fifteen or sixteen, really… like I said, it's a big cast.” He shakes his head.

She turns and walks backwards. “You can pay me back by putting on the best show ever.”

“Since when did you become so generous?” He flashes her a joking smile.

She gives him a mock shocked expression as she throws her arms out wide off her sides. “I’ve always been this way!”

James gives her another hearty laugh. “Don't let Professor Vasquez find out. His flawed protagonist is becoming a real Mary Sue.”

“Ouch… I think?” She scoff laughs at him.

He laughs again, this time clutching his side. “I’m pretty sure I meant it as a compliment.”

“Right. I’d love to stay and hear more of these so-called compliments, but I need to get inside. I’ve done absolutely nothing to help prepare for this party…” MC pauses as she reaches for the door behind her.

She waves at James and turns to go inside. Once she's reached their suite floor, she opens the door, finding her friends finishing up party preparations. Kaitlyn plugs in the last string of lights as MC walks through the door and looks around the room in awe. “Is there anything left for me to do?”

Kaitlyn laughs. “Just sit there and look pretty, I guess. When did you become such a slacker, MC?” She nudges MC with her shoulder as she passes.

MC suddenly feels bad as she frowns and scrambles for an excuse. “I’m not, I was just--”

Kaitlyn quickly cuts her off. “I know, I know. I’m just teasing you.”

She flounces out of the living room to put the finishing touches on her makeup while MC and Zack sit down to wait for the guests to arrive.

“What did Vasquez want this time, MC? Let’s see… Do you have to make out with everyone at the party? Shout fire in a crowded theater?” Zack playfully mocks the professor's past assignments as they turn to face each other on the sofa, each folding their legs under them and touching knees.

MC snort laughs at her sarcastic friend. “Not quite. He’s hoping to add a little drama to my life's story by making me help put on James’s play.”

Zack shakes his head. “A little on the nose, isn't it? Are you going to be James’s leading lady or what?”

MC shrugs. “I guess we’ll find out after auditions. You wouldn't happen to be interested in trying out, would you?” She wiggles her eyebrows at him.

He taps his chin with his finger. “Huh, let me think… my name up in lights, my adoring public hanging on my every word, and a guaranteed bouquet of roses?”

MC can't help but openly laugh at her exuberant best friend as he continues. “Nah, that's not something I’d be interested in at all.”

He flashes her an exaggerated grin. “Just kidding, I’m totally in. I’ll take any excuse to get up on stage and talk as loud as I want. But recruiting other people might not be so easy…”

She rolls her eyes at him as she leans forward slightly and playfully shoves him. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

“Oh, sorry. You can do this! Blah, bah, blah, inspiration!!! Blah, blah, you're a star!” He tries again, this time with thick sarcasm.

He reaches over and squeezes her hand. “MC, you don't need me to tell you that you can do this. Just go out and do it!”

She shakes her head at him, this time with a grin across her lips. “You know what… you’re right! I’m going to go recruit the first person who walks through that door!”

Just then, the cracked door opens and in walks Edgar. “Hellooooo, party people!” His eyes fall to MC and he looks at her with some concern. “I stashed my scooter in the bush next to your dorm. Is that gonna be safe?”

Zack starts laughing under his breath where only MC can hear him. “Oh, I can't wait to see this.”

She shoots him a glare and shushes him quickly before she gets up to greet Edgar. “Uh, hey.. You’re one of Tyler's gaming buddies, right? Edward?”

Unphased by her mistake, Edgar corrects her. “Actually it’s Edgar. My mom named me after Edgar Allen Poe, her favorite author.”

MC quickly nods. “Oh, that’s… nice? Anyway, I think your scooter will be safe, but don't quote me on that…”

Edgar shrugs. “It’s okay. I installed a tracking chip just in case, so if it gets stolen I know where to look.”

“Oh, well that's awesome. So… Edgar. I could actually use a favor. I’m trying to get a cast together for a play.” MC shoots him a toothy grin.

He looks at her with surprise. “Oh, wow, I’ve never really tried acting before…”

“You’d be perfect because you're intelligent!” She looks at him hopefully.

“Intelligent? Me? I don't know if I’d go that far, but--”

She quickly cuts in. “Come on, you're a gamer, right? That requires strategy… quick thinking… and a good mind for memorization. If you can memorize a line and deliver it, you’re everything I’m looking for.”

“Well, I did commit the entire tech tree for Civilization V to memory. Want me to draw it for you?” He eagerly offers.

MC glances over to Zack, finding him crying with laughter from his spot on the sofa. She shoots him a another glare before turning her eyes back to Edgar.

“That won't be necessary. But what do you say? Will you join me on my quest to put on this play, or will you desert me in my hour of need?” She gives him her best heroine in distress look.

“I suppose my League of Legends team could spare me for a few nights… I’m in!” He flashes her a goofy smile.

“Awesome! You just made my night!” She gives him a high five before strutting triumphantly back to Zack.

He’s wiping the tears from his eyes as she joins him back on the sofa. “Damn, MC, you really know how to turn on the charm. You're more dangerous than you look.”

“Hey, it’s for a good cause!” She scoffs and tries to pinch him as he dodges her attack.

“Trust me, I’m not complaining. It was a privilege to watch you work your magic.” He gives her a quick worshiping bow.

A short while later, the suite is full of guests mingling in the living room, the kitchen, and even up on the roof. MC heads upstairs to check out the scene and spots Chris cracking open a beer on the corner of the roof.

 He hears her approach and turns. “There’s my girl.” He wraps an arm around her, pulling her close.

“Hey, you. Why are you just standing over here by yourself?” She searches his eyes, remembering their earlier conversation.

“Ah, it’s nothing. I’m fine.” He says flatly.

“Chris… come on. I know you better than that. What’s going on?” She tugs on his belt loops with both hands, making him look up from the drink in his hand.

He sighs and looks out at the snow-blanketed Hartfeld campus. “I don't know, MC, I just…” He fully turns to face her, his voice going even lower as his face turns grim. “I mean, what am I even doing here?”

She knew she was picking up on something earlier, realizing this must be related. “At this party?” She raises an eyebrow, trying to understand his current statement and keep it light.

He sadly shakes his head. “At the school. Now that football season is over it’s like I’m just… treading water until next fall.”

MC immediately recalls the details of their conversation earlier about his hometown and how lucky he feels to have escaped it. With the help of football anyway, which he is now without the support of.

Chris continues, his eyes somber as he leans on the railing and looks down at his hands. “Last quarter I was the star quarterback. But now… I don't know who I am. You know?” He turns his head slightly to look into her eyes, his own full of deep sadness.

MC eliminates the space between them, reaching her right arm across his back, the other covering his left hand as he remains folded over the railing. She lowers her face next to his, pressing her cheek to his. “It sounds like you need something new to focus on.”

He takes a deep breath and stares out over the quad. “Yeah… a new focus. That sounds about right.”

She feels his body begin to relax as he continues. “The only question is… what?” He lets out a huff of air, jostling his bangs in the process.

She grins as she stands back up straight, rubbing his back with her right hand as she tugs at him with her left, getting him to stand and turn towards her. “You know what? I think I might have just the thing.”

He eyes her curiously, waiting for more information. “See, James has been working on this play, and--”

Suddenly, Darren and Logan rush over, with Madison and Becca trailing behind. Logan pulls Chris into a headlock while Darren claps him on the back.

“What’s up, rookie? Long time no see!” Darren pats Chris on the back a few times, clearly excited to see his friend.

Chris shakes his head and sighs with a smile. “What do I gotta do to lose that nickname, huh?”

“I’m thinking power hour. Anyone else thinking power hour?” Logan interjects.

“Ugh, god no. We had to get Kappa house professionally cleaned after the last time you suggested that, Logan…” Becca quickly shuts him down.

“Aw, I thought it was super fun!” Madison innocently supports his idea before her expression falls. “Although I did give up after minute five…”

Chris turns to MC and gives her the same look he gave her during their trip to L.A. when they were constantly interrupted by the same four friends.

MC gives his arm a firm squeeze, letting him know she understands and completely agrees. “Sorry, guys, but I was just in the middle of asking Chris something.”

“So go ahead and ask. You don't need my permission to speak. Unfortunately.” Becca scoffs at MC.

MC’s eyes narrow at Becca for a moment before it hits her, her face suddenly turning bright. “Actually, this is something you all might be interested in! James just finished writing an awesome play… and he needs actors! Anyone interested in starting a career in theater?”

Logan holds up his hand. “Whoa, whoa. Hold up. Aren’t plays for, you know, drama geeks? I’ve got a reputation to uphold!”

“Come on, Logan… This isn't high school. We’re in college now. There are no jocks or nerds...” MC purses her lips at the tall man.

Logan raises an eyebrow at Tyler’s group of friends, who are crowded around Edgar’s phone.

Tripp gasps. “Holy crap you caught a Togepi?! Goals!”

Logan turns back to MC, a huge grin on his face. “You sure about that, MC?”

Darren shakes his head and lets out a low chuckle. “C’mon, man, you know what she's trying to say. Couldn't hurt to get a little more cultured, right?”

“Hey, I drink German beer! That counts for something, right?” Logan seems proud of himself.

Becca glares at him. “Heineken is Dutch, genius.”

Logan’s mouth falls open as he looks at her in disbelief for a moment before he shrugs. “Okay. So maybe I could stand to expand my horizons…” He shoots MC a goofy grin. “All right, MC. I’m convinced. Let’s do this!”

“Awesome! Glad to hear it.” MC pats him on the shoulder and he winks at her.

“Sign me up, too. Sounds fun.” Darren gives her a solid warm smile.

“Thanks, Darren!” MC beams at him and gives him a quick hug.

She turns to Chris, seeing him with one of the widest warm smiles she's seen on his face. “Guess we’re doing this. Count me in, MC.”

He reaches over and grabs her hand, holding it firmly in his much larger one. “Acting might be just the new thing I’m looking for.” He raises her hand to his lips and softly kisses the back of it.

She blushes deeply at the bold PDA and grins at him. “You never know, right?”

Becca actually smiles, either missing his affectionate display to MC, or choosing to ignore it. “For once, MC actually has a bright idea. With your natural charisma, you’ll be a shoo-in for the male lead.”

She totally catches him off guard, his eyes previously looking at MC with soft affection, now giving her a very confused expression, before he swallows hard and turns to respond. “Oh… thanks, Becca...”

She continues to ignore the fact that he has MC’s hand in his as she continues. “Any time. I--” She stops and looks around quickly. “Wait a second. Something feels off. Where’d Madison go?”

Logan’s expression suddenly matches Becca’s frantic one. “She's usually no more than ten feet from you…”

They all look around and find her on the far side of the roof, talking to Tyler’s friend, Tripp.

Tripp grins at Madison. “Actually, I basically invented the sleeveless vest trend. I’ll tell you a little secret… This used to be a jacket.”

Madison’s mouth falls open. “And you just cut off the sleeves? Just like that?”

He gives her a confident nod. “Just like that. That's just how I roll, babe.”

She giggles. “It's soooo puffy! Can I touch it?”

He leans in close. “I thought you'd never ask.”

Logan's face contorts with multiple emotions at the same time. “What's Madison doing flirting with that dork?”

Darren leans over. “Easy, buddy. Since when do you care who Madison flirts with?”

Logan stammers, totally caught off guard by Darren's question and his own feelings. “I… I totally don't. You know me. Being single is basically my religion.” He scoffs weakly as he glares across the roof.

The conversation is interrupted by a burst of laughter across the way, causing everyone in their immediate group to turn and look.

Tripp is crying with laughter. “No way! I thought I was the only one on campus who still watched Saturday morning cartoons!”

Madison giggles. “I mean, I get up on Saturday and watch cartoons on Netflix… but it still counts, right?”

“It sure does! High-five!” He raises his hand up high for Madison to connect.

She laughs and jumps up to give him one. “Yay! I love high-fives!”

The small circle of friends turn to look at Logan, his face now clearly showing his upset. “I… I don't know what to do!”

MC steps close to him and tugs on his arm. “If you really feel that strongly about her, you should make a move. She at least deserves to know how you feel…” Logan turns to give her an anxious look as she gently pushes. “You might be pleasantly surprised.”

Chris moves up behind MC, wrapping his arms around her as he shoots Logan a reassuring smile and pulls her close, reinforcing her words with his actions.

Logan begins to nod enthusiastically as he glances across the roof. “You're right! I can't just stand here while Tripp steals the love of my life!”

MC’s mouth falls open slightly. “Uh, aren't you kind of exaggerating? I mean--”

Logan doesn't let her finish as he quickly turns from them all and heads across the roof, throwing up his hand. “Yo, Maddie! You want a drink?” He flashes her a big smile.

She makes a thoughtful face for a moment before she answers, turning her attention away from Tripp. “Not really… but I do want pizza bagels!”

Logan's face suddenly looks euphoric. “You know what? Those do sound good!” He grabs her hand and pulls her towards the stairs. “Let’s go see what Chris has in the freezer!”

“It’s a date!” Madison giggles as they take off.

MC frowns as she watches them disappear. “So… are they just gonna eat all of our pizza bagels?” She turns to Chris with a raised eyebrow. “Are we okay with that?”

~Chris~

Chris lets out a short laugh as he spins her to face him, wrapping his arms tighter around her waist. “Hey, I’m not about to stand in the way of young love.”

He ignores the bitter look Becca throws at them both before Darren wraps his arms around her shoulders and moves her towards the stairs to follow Logan and Madison down. Tripp and the others follow as well, now suddenly interested in the snacks available inside. MC turns her eyes back to his once everyone disappears. The very corner of his lips curl up as he looks back, his eyes moving from hers, down to her mouth. He licks his lips as she pulls her bottom lip in, playfully chewing on it, knowing she will get a reaction out of him.

He lets out a low growl and reaches up to cup her face, his thumb running across her bottom lip to free it. She smirks and pulls it back in, making his nose scrunch up with both humor and irritation. She’s doing it on purpose. He knows it. Chris lets out another low growl, but this time leans down slightly to stop her actions with his lips. It works as she opens her mouth when he asks, inciting a light moan from her throat, making him shift them both to increase the contact surface between their bodies.

He wraps his arms tightly around her back, lifting her slightly. She takes the hint and wraps her legs around him, making it easier for him to lift her completely. He runs his hands under her legs, right below her ass. He groans when she squeezes her legs around his waist, causing friction between their lower bodies. She breaks the connection between their lips and grins at him. He breathes raggedly a few times as he looks deep into her eyes. She pulls her bottom lip in again, this time without realizing it.

He hisses at her and kisses her with some force again, speaking between kisses. “Urgh… stop… it…”

She starts to laugh when she realizes what she did unintentionally. He joins in her laughter, kissing her while grinning and walking towards the stairs. He pauses at the top of the stairs, kissing her rapidly a few more times, making her giggle harder before he accepts that she knows not to mess with her lip. He slowly lowers her down, their bodies keeping direct contact as she slides a little down his warmth, their eyes never separating.

He leans to give her one more kiss, this time slow and hungry. Chris enjoys her taste, instantly re-familiarizing his senses with her flavor. He definitely missed this, and now he wants more.

She turns towards the stairs, her hips moving in such a seductive way. He wonders if its on purpose or if she's totally unaware what she's doing to him right now. Quickly he runs one hand through his hair before shifting to run his other down her lower back and under the curve of her ass, making her turn her head slightly to look over her shoulder at him. He laughs and shrugs, flashing her with an apologetic smile.

She grabs his hand and sticks it in her back jeans pocket, cocking her eyebrow at him playfully as they head down the stairs. Before they separate so she can recruit more actors for the play, Chris lightly squeezes her through the jeans then lets his hand slip out of the pocket. He doesn't look at her when she turns to him again, a sly smile on his lips as he heads toward Logan to see what damage has done in the kitchen.

~MC~

Abbie flashes a huge grin as MC finishes her proposal. “Ooh, I’d love to help design set… and if you absolutely need me to do some acting, I guess I’d be down.”

MC lets out a sigh of relief. “Yay! Thanks, Abbie!” She reaches over and pulls her friend into a firm hug.

Standing next to Abbie during the conversation, Tyler steps in as well. “You’re gonna need lighting and sound all that, right? I’m basically a one-man tech crew! Put me in, coach!”

Chris gives him a high five from his spot next to MC, both laughing. Chris leans in and whispers into her ear, only for her to hear. “Best looking coach I’ve ever worked with…”

She snorts and playfully shoves him away, giving her space to breathe before she focuses on Tyler again. “You’re in! Welcome aboard, Tyler!”

MC winks at them and turns to search out more friends to recruit. She doesn't make it far tho, as a familiar pair of warm hands find her hips on both sides. She smiles without turning around, feeling him eliminate all space between them. The music changes to an upbeat, grind it out type of song. She feels him shift behind her, asking her to dance without any using any words. She runs her hands from his forearms to his hands, covering them with her own, accepting the offer. He leans in closer, bending his neck over her shoulder as he tucks his face into her neck. She can feel his breath against her neck as they move, her eyes closing as she pushes and pulls against him.

She swallows hard when he gently kisses on her neck, occasionally sucking on her skin but not hard enough to leave a mark. Just hard enough to tease her. Her eyes open slightly as she glances around, relaxing when she realizes that many others are doing the same around her, so they are just another pair of bodies in the crowd.

While MC is enjoying herself, she really wants to see those blue eyes that make her knees weak. She prys the firm grip he has on her hips lose and slowly spins, making sure not to lose the full body contact with him as she does. When she finishes her spin, her eyes look up into his. She finds them hooded and dark, almost predatory as she runs her hands up his chest. He tightens his grip on her and she runs her hands up and behind his neck, cocooning them into a small little bubble.

Chris wraps his arms around her back and waist before he ducks his head back into the crook of her neck. He continues to kiss and suck on her skin, now with increased activity because he’s hidden better than before. She tries not to obviously gasp at his touch.

She hears him whisper loud enough for her ears only through the loud music around them. “Is this party over yet....”

MC laughs and kisses him on the neck this time, making him groan at the contact. Hearing that makes her smile, knowing she wants the exact same thing. She's only been thinking about him like that since the championship game. Her body tingles as the memories fly through her mind. She decides that party or not, she's going to get this recruiting business over with so they can sneak off and finally get some time together, just the two of them.

She pulls back a little, making him stand straight again as well. His eyes are still hooded and dark a he looks into hers. She runs her hand through his hair and his eyes close as he enjoys himself. She does it a few more times while her other grips his bicep firmly.

When she stops and lowers her hand to his other arm he slowly opens his eyes, instantly focusing on her. They are more clear now, her actions having pulled him from his deeply lustful thoughts. He slowly smiles at her, knowing she has to leave him for a little while longer.

“I need a few more volunteers for the play. I promise to run away with you as soon as I get enough…” He smirks when she says ‘run away’.

“Alright…” He nods once and brushes some hair out of her face. “I’m here. If you want me...”

She doesn't miss it. His statement is a repeat of his previous admission during their trip. He said that specific phrase intentionally. She begins to bite her lower lip but sees his eyebrow arch slightly and stops with a light laugh. “Sorry…”

He winks at her and loosens his grip on her, letting her float out of his hands as he stands there staring after her with a lopsided smirk until she disappears into the crowd.

MC finds Tyler’s group of gaming friends who have congregated in a tight group near one of the windows. She runs through the idea with everyone, thanking Edgar again for his involvement, hoping to drum up more participants.

“A long as I don't have to be in any scenes with Tyler, I’m in.” Leila says curtly to MC.

MC gives her a knowing smile, somewhat apologetic to the way things had gone down between everyone during the last quarter. “Since he’ll mostly be operating the lights, I think I can guarantee you won't be.”

Tripp moves closer to MC, his expression beyond excitable. “You know the Trippinator is down! But be warned… my performances have been known to bring audiences to tears.”

MC can't help but laugh. “I’m almost certain that's not true, but I’m glad to have you anyway!” She pats him on the shoulder before moving on to another group.

She finds Madison nearby and heads over, noticing Logan hovering around her closely. She explains the situation to Madison, with the help of Logan who tries to encourage her to join him.

“I dunno. Can I play a tree? In all of the other plays I’ve done, I’ve always been a tree.” Madison looks at MC hopefully.

MC can't help but smile at her sweet friend. “Hmm… Sure, you're a tree!”

Madison squeals and jumps on MC, gripping her in a tight hug. “Yay! Thanks, MC! You're the best!”

MC clears her throat and pulls back to look at Madison. “We might want you to play some other roles between your tree scenes… like, human roles.”

Madison frowns a little as she contemplates MCs request. “Hmm… I guess that’s okay, depending on what tree I get to play.” She suddenly perks up. “Can I be an oak tree? I’ve already been a cherry blossom and a wisteria.”

MC grins and reaches out her hand. “Sure, oak it is.”

Madison takes her hand and shakes it. “Yay! Squirrels are going to live in me!”

MC tells them both thanks again and mingles around the room. Soon she spots Zack and Brandon hanging out on the other side and walks over to them.

Brandon spots her approach and gives her a warm smile. “Hey! I heard about the play! Got room for one more?”

MC gives him a huge smile. She knew she liked this guy. “Of course!”

Zack is practically vibrating next to him. “Oh, I can't wait to do a scene with you.”

Brandon leans towards him, hooking his arm around Zack’s waist, pulling him flush against him. “We can do a little scene later tonight if you’d like…”

Zack moves his face closer, his eyes locked on Brandon's, their noses less than an inch apart. “Careful. You're going to make MC blush.” He breathlessly replies, locking his arms around Brandon as well.

MC snorts with amusement.

Brandon grins, his eyes holding Zack’s. “So let her blush. Everyone knows I can't get enough of you.”

They both continue as if in their own world making MC playfully roll her eyes. “Are you sure you won't get sick of me if we do this play? We’re going to be spending a lot of time together on set…” Zack playfully brushes his nose against Brandon’s.

Brandon sucks in a quick breath and leans back, his expression torn. “Actually… we’d better do it now while we can.”

Zack and MC both pick up on his tone immediately. Zack quickly looks at MC, his previous joyus expression now replaced with a clouded one.

He turns back to Brandon, his brow creased with worry. “That sounds kind of ominous. Whats up?”

Brandon lets out a large sigh, turning his eyes away from Zack. “I’ve been trying to work up the courage to tell you this but…”

He looks up into Zack’s eyes. “I got into ‘Hartfeld in Peru’ for spring quarter…” He watches Zack’s face fall and swallows hard. “I applied for it before you and I got together. I’m sorry it took me this long to tell you.” His voice gets softer towards the end, almost a whisper.

MC grimaces at the awkward conversation, but she receives a look from Zack, pleading for her to stay. If one of her best friends needs her, she's going to be there, even if it’s more than uncomfortable.

Zack drops his arms from Brandon’s waist and steps back. “Wait… you're going to be gone for three months… surrounded by hot South American guys?”

Brandon looks away from Zack for a moment and lets out another huge sigh, his voice dropping lower. “Oh boy. I knew this would be a problem…”

MC sees the look on his face, knowing he wants to talk to Zack more privately, so she quickly bows out. The following conversation needs to be privat. “Uh… speaking of which, I need to keep recruiting for James's play, so…”

Zack doesn't argue with her as she quickly leaves them to talk things through, backpedaling across the room until she bumps into someone. She turns as two tiny but familiar hands grab her shoulders and spin her around.

Kaitlyn grins at her. “Careful there, stranger.”

MC has an internal sigh of relief. “Kaitlyn! I was hoping I’d bump into you! I was wondering if--”

Her friend quickly finishes her sentence for her. “You could convince me to try out for James’s play? Okay, I’m convinced.”

She almost laughs at MC’s stunned expression. “You're my best friend, MC. I’d do anything for you.”

MC doesn't speak as she pulls Kaitlyn in for a big tight hug. When she leans back she pulls back she can't help but smile. “Aw, Kaitlyn… you're the best.”

She smirks at MC. “Oh, I know. Don't worry.. I’m sure you'll find a way to pay me back eventually.”

Just then there's a knock on the door. Being so close, MC goes to open it and finds James standing beside a young man in a crisp suit.

James politely nods at her as he flashes her a smile. “Hey, MC. Allow me to introduce our Lord Rathbone…”

He turns and the younger man steps closer, leaning in to grasp her hand gently before kissing the back of it with a smile. “Sebastian Delacroix, at your service.”

MC grins at the unexpected contact. “Wow… I guess chivalry's not dead after all.”

He stands straight and gives her a pointed look. “I’d like to think there are still some men keeping it alive.”

MC grins to herself, her thoughts drifting to Chris and the many times he's been chivalrous to her. She quickly makes herself focus on the pair in front of her before she becomes too distracted with said thoughts.

“Good to know… but I hope you're not this polite as Lord Rathbone.” She flashes him a cocky smile.

His polite smile turns mischievous. “Quite the opposite. Playing the rogue is my specialty. In fact, sometimes I don't know whether I’m not more myself when I’m up there, acting the villain.”

His statement catches her off guard, making her feel somewhat uncomfortable suddenly. “That’s… terrifying.”

His eyes narrow as his eerie grin grows. “On the contrary, my dear, it’s acting.”

MC becomes even more concerned. “Riiiight…”

Sensing her unease, James quickly steps in. “Apologies, MC. Sebastian takes his craft very seriously.” He gives her a small shrug and accompanying smile. “And to be honest… his work speaks for itself.”

Sebastian gives them both a friendly smile. “Well, I’m certainly not all work and no play. I’ve brought a fifty-year-old bottle of scotch to share. Care to crack it open?”

MC is stunned again. “Um, sure, but I’m not sure we have the right glasses for it…” She's suddenly feeling very self conscious.

He gives her a curt nod and steps into the kitchen. “I’ll go see what I can turn up. Bye for now. I’ll catch up to you two later…” He disappears into the thick crowd.

MC exchanges a bewildered look with James. “What… just happened?”

James lets out a small chuckle. “Sebastian has that effect on people. He’s just from a different world, you know?”

She snort scoffs at him through a grin. “Yeah… your world. That guy was on a whole other level, though…”

“He’s a textbook narcissist with delusions of grandeur. But he’s also the best actor I’ve ever met.” James shakes his head as he looks in the last direction they saw Sebastian. “How's the rest of the cast looking?” He turns to her, his expression hopeful.

MC grabs both of his hands in her excitement. “Great! I’ve talked to pretty much everyone. I think you’ll have just enough actors to fit the bill.”

James shakes her hands with his. “Thanks, MC. I literally couldn't have done it without you… I had to sit and catch up with Sebastian for about an hour before I could broach the subject of the play.”

She drops his hands and gives a deep laugh. “I do not envy you. Now, this is a party, so if I were you I’d stop sulking and start having a good time.”

He smirks at her and nods. “Orders received.”

MC watches as James takes off in the direction of the kitchen, assuming he's looking for the refreshments. She smiles as her eyes drift over the suite, seeing so many happy familiar faces, and some not so familiar. The music is louder in the living room section of the suite, encouraging the guests to dance and have a good time.

She sees some of her friends in the center and heads over as Ed Sheeran’s Shape of You comes on. MC starts dancing her way over, slipping through the crowd as bodys shift and vibrate around her. She closes her eyes and begins to dance with the people next to her, everyone having a great time with the beat of the song.

‘I'm in love with the shape of you

We push and pull like a magnet do

Although my heart is falling too

I'm in love with your body’

Someone comes up behind her, but her eyes are still closed so she thinks its Chris at first. As the seconds pass something doesn't feel right though, so she turns to see who it is. He’s a Hartfeld student, someone MC has seen around campus. She believes he is a sophomore though and they shared a class together last quarter. He flashes her a grin as he keeps pace with her, matching her movements as she shifts back and forth, up and down with the music.

‘And last night you were in my room

And now my bedsheets smell like you

Every day discovering something brand new

I'm in love with your body’

MC can't help but smile back. She can't deny that he’s good looking. He’s taller than her, almost as tall as Chris, and he has shaggy dark brown, almost black colored hair framing his deep brown eyes. They are so dark that she can't help but be caught by them momentarily before she tears her eyes away. She feels her face flush, realizing this was not who she wanted to make her feel this way, but she couldn't stop the natural attraction he’s pulling from her.

~Chris~

Talking to Darren on the side of the living room, Chris’s eyes occasionally scan for the one person he wants to spend his time with. Eventually he spots her, thanks to his height advantage, near the front door talking to James. He sees another shorter young man with them. He figures it must be the guy MC was telling him about earlier, the one to play James’s notorious villain.

He doesn't miss when the sandy haired young man kisses the back of MC’s hand. His eyes narrow as he watches, trying to get a feel for this guy. Chris quickly realizes that he's just being polite. Overly polite, but innocently so. His shoulders relax a little, not realizing that his chest had tightened some as he watched their interaction.

He shakes his head and laughs lightly, amused by his own overreaction. He listens to Darren’s conversation with another one of their teammates for a moment before he looks back over to MC, finding her turning around as James heads towards the kitchen. His eyes stay on her, hoping that she will find his soon, so he can make his way to her again.

Just then the current Bruno Mars song ends and Ed Sheeran’s Shape of You comes on. He watches with amusement as MC starts dancing her way through the thick crowd, easily slipping through with her lean athletic frame as everyone moves to the song around her. He smiles as he sees her close her eyes and begins to dance with the people nearby, everyone having a great time with the beat of the song.

‘I'm in love with the shape of you

We push and pull like a magnet do

Although my heart is falling too

I'm in love with your body’

He instantly freezes as a tall dark haired guy comes up behind her. Chris’s eyes shift to MC’s, but her eyes are still closed. He watches her continue to dance, wondering if she feels the guys presence yet, or if she thinks its him. ‘She has to think it's me… right?’

It doesn't take her long to open her eyes and spin around. The expression on her face lets him know that she did in fact think it was Chris, suprise crossing her features when she sees that it’s someone else. His brow creases as he wonders who this guy is, if he knows him, if she knows him, if he recognizes him at all. Chris thinks he looks familiar. Maybe. His lips flatten to a thin line as he turns his body to fully face the pair in the center of the room as he focuses.

 The guy flashes MC a grin as he keeps pace with her, matching her movements as she shifts back and forth, up and down with the music. Chris’s eyes shift to hers and narrow slightly, wondering if she's going to chase him off or… something. Anything.

‘And last night you were in my room

And now my bedsheets smell like you

Every day discovering something brand new

I'm in love with your body’

He frowns as he sees her smile back. Chris swears he sees her face flush a little. The hair on the back of his neck stands up as he watches. He swallows the lump in his throat and tells his rapidly beating heart to calm down. But it doesn't listen, and he can't think. He’s felt this before, when MC was spending a lot of time with James. When he took her to the Kappa dance and out to dinner, in that curve hugging dress. When he was distracting himself with… Becca. He sighs.

‘Oh—I—oh—I—oh—I—oh—I

I'm in love with your body

Oh—I—oh—I—oh—I—oh—I

I'm in love with your body

Oh—I—oh—I—oh—I—oh—I’

Chris frowns. He doesn't have the right to feel this… this, jealousy.

‘Ah yes, that's what it is. Jealousy.’ That’s exactly what he’s feeling and he hates it. But does he have the right to feel this way? He quickly thinks through everything they have discussed regarding the two of them. His mind hits a wall as he remembers her statement on the bus to nationals. ‘I’m single…’ he recalls her playfully telling Ethan as she shot him a particular look.

‘I'm in love with your body

Every day discovering something brand new

I'm in love with the shape of you’

Chris is sure she chose him that next day. They spent the entire day with each other, most of it intimately too. His eyes narrow as he makes up his mind, hoping that MC won't become upset with him as he quickly cuts through the crowd, heading straight for her. It only takes seconds for him to slide up behind her as she still dances with the brunette man. He takes a deep breath, calming himself before he reacts unfavorably, keeping faith that he hasn't been misreading everything.

~MC~

‘One week in we let the story begin

We're going out on our first date

You and me are thrifty, so go all you can eat

Fill up your bag and I fill up a plate’

MC is having fun but also feels anxious for some reason as she continues to dance with the deep brown eyes in front of her. She knows it's just innocent dancing, but she thinks she's picking up on a little more from him. She shakes her head and smiles, trying to continue dancing and not leading him on in any way if possible. The song doesn't make that very easy though, as the actual subject begs for physical interaction between them.

‘We talk for hours and hours about the sweet and the sour

And how your family is doing okay

Leave and get in a taxi, then kiss in the backseat

Tell the driver make the radio play, and I'm singing like’

Suddenly something changes. It’s like the pressure shifts around her as the air warms her from behind. It only takes a millisecond before she knows what's happening. She almost laughs, positive that someone in particular is close behind her now, making her heart beat faster than it has been with all the dancing.

~Chris~

Chris swallows as she turns to face him, waiting to see her face and gauge her reaction to his interruption. He ignores the man on the other side. To Chris, he doesn’t even exist.

‘Girl, you know I want your love

Your love was handmade for somebody like me

Come on now, follow my lead

I may be crazy, don't mind me’

Her eyes tell him everything he needs to know when she turns full circle and they lock onto his. He is an idiot.

‘Say, boy, let's not talk too much

Grab on my waist and put that body on me

Come on now, follow my lead

Come, come on now, follow my lead’

MC’s eyebrow arches up slightly, questioning his sudden appearance. He’s still standing there, looking at her with a dopey smile, clearly embarrassed by his overreaction.

‘I'm in love with the shape of you

We push and pull like a magnet do

Although my heart is falling too

I'm in love with your body’

Chris sees the dark haired man find another dance partner out of the corner of his eye, making him narrow his gaze as he stares into her hazel orbs.

‘And last night you were in my room

And now my bedsheets smell like you’

She’s still looking at him questionably as she continues to dance, so he reaches out with one hand to firmly grasp her hip, feeling her rhythm so he can match up.

‘Every day discovering something brand new

I'm in love with your body’

She moves closer to him, straddling one of his legs as their bodies push and pull together. He wraps his other hand around her lower back, holding her against him as their bodies roll together.

‘Oh—I—oh—I—oh—I—oh—I

I'm in love with your body

Oh—I—oh—I—oh—I—oh—I

I'm in love with your body

Oh—I—oh—I—oh—I—oh—I

I'm in love with your body

Every day discovering something brand new

I'm in love with the shape of you’

Chris lowers his head slightly to brush his lips near her ear.

‘Come on, be my baby, come on

Come on, be my baby, come on….’

She shivers under his touch, making him smile into her neck as the song continues.

‘I'm in love with the shape of you

We push and pull like a magnet do

Although my heart is falling too

I'm in love with your body’

Chris nips at her neck, right below her ear. He hears the resulting gasp, so he does it again.

‘Last night you were in my room

And now my bedsheets smell like you

Every day discovering something brand new

I'm in love with your body’

He leans back up, running one hand around her neck and up into her hair, making her turn to look at him. They stare into each others eyes as they continue to move, neither daring to break the direct contact.

‘Come on, be my baby, come on

Come on, be my baby, come on

I'm in love with your body

Come on, be my baby, come on

Come on, be my baby, come on

I'm in love with your body’

~MC~

‘Come on, be my baby, come on

Come on, be my baby, come on

I'm in love with your body’

Chris suddenly tilts her chin up slightly, covering her lips with his. Her eyes slam shut as they continue to roll together, this time with electricity starting with their joined lips.

‘Every day discovering something brand new

I'm in love with the shape of you’

Just as the song ends they pull apart, both sets of eyes closed for a moment as they collect themselves. When MC opens her eyes she sees his already on her. She tries not to laugh or even grin, knowing that he is obviously jealous and probably worried that she was just entertaining the idea of the handsome stranger. She knows she can't let him get away with this though, deciding to playfully question him instead.

“You jealous, captain?” MC watches as his shoulders soften as she runs her arms around his taut waist, her hands locking firmly behind his back.

He clears his throat as he glances around the room. She assumes he's looking for the dark haired man she was previously dancing with before he turns his gaze back to her, slowly answering in a low voice. “What if I say yes to your question, beautiful…”

She smirks at him, knowing she has him. “That's… good to know.”

He tilts his head, eyeing her suspiciously. “Are you… are you teasing me, MC?” A mischievous smile appears on his face.

She unlocks her arms from his waist as she starts taking a few steps backwards. “Me? No… I would never do that.”

MC grins at him briefly before spinning and cutting through the crowd to Kaitlyn. She had promised to help her clean up some and restock the kitchen a little earlier, so if she didn't show up soon, her bubbly best friend would surely come looking for her. She glances back to Chris one more time, seeing him chew on his tongue as he shakes his head at her. The look he's giving her makes her stomach flutter, knowing that he's going to make her pay for it later.

She can’t wait.

Later that night, as the party is winding down, MC heads up to the roof. She finds Brandon and Zack closely together as they hover near the side, talking in hushed tones.

Brandon waves at her as they make eye contact. “Hey, MC! Hope we didn't scare you away earlier.”

Zack gives her a playful look as he snorts. “Are you kidding? She bolted out of there like a scared antelope.”

She rolls her eyes at her friends playful jab at her decision to maintain their privacy. “I take it this means you guys sorted everything out?”

Zack’s happy edge falls from his expression. “Not exactly… I’m still super bummed that Brandon is ditching me next quarter.”

He turns his gaze to the man next to him, his expression turning more positive with each second. “But… it's all the more reason to enjoy the present, right?”

Brandon pulls him close, kissing him on the top of his head. “Right.”

Zack blushes and turns quickly to MC. “Speaking of which… you look like you’re looking for that special someone. Am I right?” He gives her a impish wink.

She smiles and she wrinkles her nose at her ‘all knowing’ best friend. “Yeah, I’m looking for Chris.”

Brandon casually points past them to the edge of the roof with his free hand. “I think I see your guy over there…”

MC waves to them both and heads over to the far side of the roof, past the sofas and firepit. The area is empty except for her favorite person, who is currently looking off into the distance.

She quietly slides up next to him, gently running her hand down his back starting at the nape of his neck. “I’ve been looking for you.”

He turns to face her, pulling her close to his chest with both hands, a deep warm smile on his lips. “You make it sound like I’ve been hiding.”

“I was just thinking… I haven't given you your Christmas present yet.” She tilts her head to the side.

His grin grows, flashing her with a perfect set of pearly white teeth. “Let me guess? Is it socks?”

She leans over and whispers in his ear. “It’s something for me to wear… and you to enjoy.”

He leans back, surprise written all over his face. “That’s a lot better than socks… Unless you're going to wear the socks. Wait. Will you be wearing just socks?”

MC laughs at him. “Let's go to my room.” She reaches for his hand, threading her fingers through his as she turns, heading for the stairs.

“I’ve been waiting for you to say that all night.” He quickly moves in step with her, gladly following her anywhere.

They cut through the less packed living space, the crowd slowly fading as the early morning hours approach. They silently enter the hall and duck into her mostly dark room. As Chris crosses the threshold, MC drops his hand and pushes the door too softly, quickly locking it before she turns to face Chris. He's standing right there, only inches from her as her back rests on the door.

He narrows his eyes at her slightly, placing one hand next to her and leaning on it as he shifts closer. MC knows he definitely hasn't forgotten about earlier. She quickly ducks under his arm and steps further into her room. He spins and takes a few steps towards her. His movements make her feel like a gazelle on the Serengeti while a large sleek lion tracks her every movement.

 As he gets closer she takes a deep breath and places her hands flat on his chest, pushing him back towards her bed. His eyes shift from a predator hunting prey to questioning and curious. When the back of his legs bump into her bed, she pushes his chest one last time, making him sit down by default. She walks over to her duffle bag and pulls out a carefully wrapped box as he watches her every move.

She can tell that he almost can't contain his excitement. “Do I get to watch you put it on?”

MC looks at him and thinks about his request. “Mm, I think you should…” She bites her lip, watching him hold his breath. “Close your eyes.”

He flashes her a mock pout, obviously not too upset with the idea of being surprised when he gets to open his eyes. She pulls the large sash off of the box and walks over to him, his eyebrows rising as he searches her face. “What are you doing…”

She cocks an eyebrow and raises the sash to his eyes. “No peeking, Christopher…”

He starts laughing and closes his eyes. “Yeah, okay. I probably do need this.”

She gently wraps it around his head, covering his eyes and ties it around the back. She folds at the hip, inspecting the coverage as she playfully sticks her tongue out at him. When he doesn't react she stands back up and smiles. “You can’t see, right?”

~Chris~

He reaches up and fumbles as he locates her hips from her voice as she stands between his legs. “Uh…” He laughs. “Not at all… actually.” He sighs and shakes his head with a small frown.

“Good.” He hears the smirk in her voice as she steps out of his reach.

He pouts and lets his hands drop to his sides, trying to listen to everything he can as she moves around the small room. One by one, he can hear as she she starts dropping articles of clothing, each piece hitting the floor close by. He can hear her pull something out of the box he saw earlier and he grins. Chris doesn't miss the sound of the fabric sliding across her skin. He can feel his heart rate increase, making it harder to focus as he can only think of ripping the makeshift blindfold off and tackling her to the ground. Chris hears her shuffle suddenly, followed by a thud as he assumes she runs into the desk nearby.

 “MC..?!” He sits up straight and calls out, his hands instinctively shooting out as if he was going to catch her somehow.

She laughs. “Oh my god, I can't believe I just did that.”

“Did what?” His voice is full of concern as his brow furrows underneath the blindfold. He forces himself to stay seated though, telling himself that everything's fine since she's laughing. He forcefully blows out a breath of air and listens intently again.

“I should have tried this on more. I apparently need the practice... “ She snorts and grumbles to herself. “...losing my balance, are you freaking kidding me…”

Chris’s entire body relaxes and he lets out a hearty laugh. She shushes him and he hears her move closer to him again. He can tell when she steps back between his legs, her hands almost immediately running through his hair on both sides. He takes a deep breath and smiles, leaning into her touch as she slowly unties the sash. He blinks a few times, focusing in the dimly lit room at the vision in front of him.

He sucks in a quiet breath. “You’re… amazing.”

“So… what do you think? Red’s your favorite color, right?” She runs her hands down the sides of her sheer lace trimmed lingerie.

He just stares at her, jaw slack with shock and awe. “I think I’ve never been more turned on in my entire life.”

Chris slowly reaches out, his eyes looking up to hers for permission before he makes contact with his hands on her hips. He watches his hands as one runs across her flat stomach, the other running up her side, making her shift when he crosses a ticklish spot near her ribs. He remembers that spot from before, making the corner of his lips curl up slightly.

She grins down at him. “So… what are you going to do to me?”

His face turns dark and sultry. “I might start by tearing this lingerie off you with my teeth...” His eyes continue to explorer with his hands, making her gasp here and there as he re-familiarizes himself with her body.

“So impatient… this stuff was expensive, you know. You should let me wear it for a few minutes… get my money’s worth.” She hisses at him.

Chris shakes his head in disbelief as his eyes trail up and down her body. “You're going to drive me crazy, baby.” He groans.

Her eyes narrow seductively. “Good.”

MC takes a step closer, gently pointing into his chest. “Now here’s what you’re going to do.”

She climbs onto and straddles his lap. He closes his eyes tightly for a moment, taking a deep breath as he adjust to her close proximity. He's not going to let this end anytime soon if he can help it, so he takes a minute to calm his body. When he opens his eyes again she's looking at him wickedly. He knows he's in trouble now.

“You’re going to kiss me. Everywhere. Until I’m begging you to take this off of me.” She narrows her eyes at him, daring him to deny her this.

He can’t help himself as he lets out a relieved laugh. His hands find the soft skin of her waist, his eyes rising to lock onto hers. “I can do that.”

~MC~

Before she can react, Chris quickly spins them both, holding her body to his as he gently lowers her back down to the bed. He hovers over her, his strong arms holding him up as he kisses her neck and nibbles on her ear.

MC gasps at the ticklish contact. “That feels… nice.”

She lets out a breathless moan. “Keep going…” Another gasp escapes as she tries to suck in her next breath.

In one swift move, Chris rolls her over onto her stomach. She clenches her eyes shut as he starts kissing her shoulders, lightly biting every so often as he moves to the sensitive area between her shoulder blades. She jerks under him occasionally, his mouth making her ticklish as he moves. He kisses her all the way down the arc of her back, sending shivers down her spine, making her toes curl. She grips her blanket tightly, her legs folding up behind her so that her toes point to the sky as she tries not to squirm on the bed.

“Ah...” Her mouth hangs open as she pants lightly, her eyes still shut tightly.

As Chris shifts on the bed she peers over her shoulder, finding him shirtless and rubbing her legs as he lowers them to lay flat on the bed again. He scoots further down on the bed, his large frame almost not able to fit on the available space as he leans back down to kiss her legs, working his way up from her ankles.

She giggles. “Hey, that kind of tickles…”

He doesn't respond verbally as his hot lips make their way to the back of her knees.

“Oh!” She gasps out as he moves further up. She closes her eyes and sighs. “I…” Another gasp. “...that feels amazing.”

She rolls back over so she can see him better, reaching up to cup the side of his face before he leans back down and starts kissing up her quivering stomach as he pushes the red fabric out of his way. She runs her hand through his hair and pulls his face up to hers, locking eyes with him, seeing her own smiling face reflected in his pupils. She swallows hard as they stare into each others souls.

“I want you...” She whispers.

He doesn't say a word as he wraps his arms around her, pulling her onto his lap as he sits up. She straddles his hips as he leans forward and starts an assault of small soft kisses on her collarbone. Once he's satisfied with the coverage, he moves his trail of kisses towards her ear. His hot breath makes her shiver from anticipation as he moves beneath her.

“Now I almost want to make you wait.” He whispers into her skin, his eyes closed as he feels without sight.

She closes her eyes as well, sucking in a quick breath as she grinds slightly against his jean covered bulge. “Don't even joke about that...”

He groans as he continues his attack on her neck, licking and sucking at her sensitive skin. “You're lucky I’m such a nice guy, beautiful…”

He smirks against her neck. “Can I take it off now?” He asks between kisses.

She nods without a word, sliding back slightly so she can reach his jeans button and zipper. Once she has it open he lifts himself with his arms as she tugs them down past his knees. He leans back against the wall and kicks them off the rest of the way. She starts running her hand over his trapped and very hard length while he runs his hands up her sides. He sucks in a sharp breath as she firmly grasps him through his deep green boxer briefs. She strokes him, enjoying the feel of him hot and hard in her hand as she’s never experienced this before. Watching him react to it was definitely a turn on.

She laughs lightly when she realizes he's in green and she's in red. “We’re all Christmasy… funny.”

He shakes his head and chuckles softly before his eyes slam shut again and a groan escapes as she grips his erection through his underwear again. “Ah, baby…”

Chris grips her hips tightly and moves her against him as he rocks up and into her. Her breath catches as she feels him press onto her sensitive area through the thin fabric of her lingerie. He reaches one hand down between her legs, rubbing her through the fabric.

“Fuck, you’re so wet…” He grinds out between clenched teeth.

She doesn't seem to hear him though as he tugs on her lingerie, pulling at it until he successfully removes the highly offensive thin red fabric. She reaches down and pulls his last bit of clothing off as well, letting them join everything else in a rumpled heap on the floor as they reposition themselves as they were before. She shifts to make herself more comfortable as she straddles his now naked hips. He flexes under her, his throbbing length pressing against her core as she gently rocks against him, her eyes fixed on his.

“I could look at you all night.” He smiles softly at her, running his fingers through her golden hair while his other hand grips her hip tightly.

“What's the fun in that?” She wraps her arms around his muscled back, pulling him away from the wall and close to her chest.

Chris leans in, burrowing his face into the crook of her neck and breathing deeply as she runs her hands down his back.

“You’re so… warm.” He breathes against her, mumbling as he runs one hand down her side, brushing the side of her breast as he slowly runs lower.

MC rubs her cheek against his temple, nuzzling his ear as she runs her hand through his hair. “You don't know the half of it.” She whispers.

She shifts, positioning herself over his extremely hard length. He quickly grips her hips, not allowing her to go too fast and hurt herself. He locks his eyes on hers as she lowers herself slowly, watching his expression change as she gradually pauses to move back up before fully lowering herself all the way down, wrapping her true warmth around him. She softly moans, fully enveloping him as he completely fills her. His brows come together as his eyes slam shut in pleasure, his mouth falling open from the blissful moment.

“I… ohhhh….” He gasps out.

MC’s eyes are closed as well as she lets out a deep breath of air before he stills her completely for a moment so she can adjust. His hands are gripping her hips tightly, almost painfully. She slowly opens her eyes to find his just slits as he looks at her from a place of pure pleasure.

She smiles at him and whispers. “Told you…”

His brow creases deeper as he reaches behind her, his hands rubbing up her back as he leans forward, his lips connecting with her chest. He closes his eyes as he blindly kisses across and down her breasts, sucking gently as he lifts her lightly, rocking beneath her. She moves with him as they go slow at first, enjoying running their hands over each other as they find a complementary leisurely pace.

She feels the warmth of Chris’s body against hers as he pumps up into her, making her gasp when he goes deeper occasionally. His hands fall down to grip her ass as he picks up the speed a little. He watches as her head falls back, her mouth open as he thrusts harder into her a few times. Leaning forward, he attaches to her neck, sucking hard at the junction where her shoulders begin.

When she lets out a deep moan he suddenly holds her tightly to his chest before he shifts on the bed, flipping her onto her back while he remains inside of her somehow. Her eyes pop open at the abrupt change in position, finding him now over her, looking deep into her eyes. She tries to smile but he continues to thrust into her, now deeper and quicker than before. Her smile melts into a concentrated frown of sorts, as she begins to pant and moan in time with his thrusts.

~Chris~

He smirks slightly when he sees her lose her composure. “That’s it, baby…”

She reaches behind him, clawing at his muscular back as she wraps her legs around his waist. He groans at her shift, now able to slide in even deeper. Lowering his head to her chest he presses his lips to her collarbone in between breaths.

“Oh my god, Chris…” She gasps out as he speeds up and finds the spot that makes her cry out. He feels her body tighten as his own begins to tingle with the friction as she wraps her legs tighter around him.

He leans up and smiles through his gasps. “Yes, MC… ah, like… that...” He slides one hand down her leg to grip her hip where it meets her thigh tightly, increasing his speed even more.

Chris feels her getting close so he lifts his head to look into her eyes, one hand cupping her face as he searches her face.

“Hey beautiful...” He says in a breath of air before he leans down, crushing his lips into hers.

He speeds up, pushing her over the edge as he continues to kiss her, swallowing her cries of pleasure as she clenches tightly around him, making him fall off the ledge right behind her.

“Holy shit… MC!” He grunts as he pumps a few more times as he finds his release.

He stops himself from fully collapsing on top of her, only lowering his forehead to her shoulder, not wanting to crush her with his weight, his body propped above her by a framework of muscular arms. She’s still breathing heavily as she runs her hands down his back in a soothing pattern, waiting for him to catch his breath as well.

He lifts his head up to look into her eyes, his own full of concern. “That was uh… a little more adventurous than last time…” He laughs lightly before shifting and pulling out.

She sucks in a quick breath when he does, making him look at her again, his brows pulling together as his eyes shift back to hers quickly. “Are you okay?”

MC smiles and grabs his face with both hands, pulling him up slightly before she kisses him deeply, answering without a word. His eyes slide shut as he submits, letting her respond with actions instead. He sighs when she pulls away, shifting them both to lay on their sides next to each other. He wraps his arms around her and pulls her towards him, tucking her smaller spoon into his larger one before reaching down to drag the covers up over them both.

“That was beyond what I could have imagined tonight…” He softly kisses her neck as he snuggles close.

She laughs softly as she threads her fingers with his, pulling his arm up to her chest and holding it like a teddy bear. “Agreed.”

He grins into her neck when she kisses the knuckles on his hand. It only takes seconds before they both fall into a deep sleep, still closely tucked into each other under her plush covers.

~MC~

The next morning, MC wakes to see Chris smiling over at her in the dim morning light. “Well… that was a pretty nice way to start winter quarter.” He grins.

She shakes her head as a flush creeps up her neck, making her laugh and pull the covers higher to hide. “Oh, yeah...”

He finishes getting dressed and leans over to her while she’s still wrapped up in bed. He kisses her softly on the forehead, then her exposed shoulder before he reaches up to move a strand of hair from her face.

“I’ll see you later at the auditions, okay? I really need to workout and go for a run… my energy level is through the roof right now.” He laughs at her blushing cheeks and leans over once more, giving her a soft kiss on the lips this time.

She barely hides her grin under the edge of her covers as she watches him pause at the door and nods. “I’ll see you there...”

He winks at her and quietly slips out of her room with a final endearing look. Once she hears the door click, she flips the covers back and heads to her closet to choose her clothes for the day. She pulls out a pair of black leggings and a long patterned off-white shirt. She pairs it with a big wide necklace and an open loose tan button up, loving the layered look.

She wraps her towel around herself and peaks out into the hall. According to his open door, Chris had quickly changed and took off to the team gym. Everyone else seems to still be asleep, so the bathroom is hers. She takes her time this morning, enjoying the warm water as it runs over her body. Her mind keeps running through last night, making her stomach flip a little as she wishes Chris was back from his run to give her a repeat performance.

MC shakes her head and laughs at herself before focusing on washing her hair and getting ready for the day. “That was a pretty nice way to start the quarter…” She agrees, mumbling to herself before closing her eyes and ducking under the shower stream.

As the time for auditions nears, MC arrives at the Hartfeld Theater. She hasn't seen Chris since he took off this morning, making her a little anxious at the idea of seeing him again now, in such a public setting. She would have liked to see him at home for even a minute before having to face him with others around. Basically, she doesn't trust her own body around him at the moment. The vibrations from last night are still bouncing around her body. She takes a deep breath as she moves closer, forcing herself to be calm.

“I hope people actually show up…” She mumbles under her breath to herself.

When she enters the building she finds two dozen people sitting inside and ready to start the auditions. She smiles, thankful that they all came when they said they would.

James notices her and immediately walks over, a huge smile on his face. “Take a look, MC. I’ve got a whole cast of actors… all thanks to you.”

Logan perks up from his spot in the crowd, clearly excited and ready to get the show on the road. “Yo! When do auditions start? You’ve got to cast me as ‘Footman 2.’ I was born for that part!”

Tripp stands and looks at Logan and then towards James and MC. “That’s the part I’m reading for!”

Madison giggles from her seat in between them both. “I get to be an oak tree!”

Edgar speaks up as well, to no one in general though. “I’ve got the entire script memorized already!”

Chris walks over to MC and flashes her a sexy smile. She swallows hard. “I assume you’re reading for the part of Lady Darling, right, MC?”

He leans in close to her, making her body heat up instantly from his proximity. “It sounds like we might be sharing an onstage kiss...”

Becca sneers as she passes them both. “That’s assuming she gets the part.”

MC quickly tears her eyes from Chris’s to land on Becca’s. “Becca? What are you doing here?”

She flashes MC a salty smile. “Trying out for the play, of course!” She narrows her eyes as she sneers at MC. “With me as your competition, you've got no chance of getting this role.”

MC’s face scrunches up like it did on the first day she met Becca, shooting her a glare right back. “I guess we’ll have to wait and see…”

[xancholis]

The list NOBODY asked for, but I did it anyway- My top 3 picks of long-running anime

*slight spoiler warning*

Number 3-

Naruto (and by obvious extension, Shippuden), makes the list for a few reasons.

First, the concept of the world is interesting. While an anime about everybody being a ninja sounds like it’d be very generic, Naruto shakes this up by basically redefining what it meant to be a ninja. Tying the idea of chakra and jutsu into not only being used for sneak stereotypical ninja abilities, chakra is tied into being life energy and a part of the nature. The skill sets of any given ninja can vary greatly and that keeps the series from seeming like characters don’t stand out. Interesting powers and abilities lead to some great fights and the series also boasts some great music.

Second, filler is not unbearable, usually is over quickly, and sometimes actually ties into later plotlines.

Third, I never expected Naruto’s plotline to make me emotional...But holy shit, this show got me to cry A LOT. Naruto confronting the nine-tails and meeting his mom in particular makes me bawl like a baby basically every time I see it. (Largely due to losing my own mother to cancer when I was just starting high school) The theme’s of loneliness and a desire for acceptance and friendship hit me right in the softest part of my heart. Naruto stirred up deep emotions with me, something very few other anime or any media really has done, and that’s one of the biggest reasons in makes the list.

Number 2-

Surprising nobody, One Piece comes in at number 2 for basically taking everything that Naruto does right and doing it a little better.

Similar to Naruto, One Piece takes a deceptively simple world and manages to make it not boring in the slightest. Vibrant characters, excellent settings, and a well-crafted lore to bring it all together.

Not only does One Piece combine light-hearted humor with emotional moments in a way Fairy Tail can only dream of (spoilers, guess what isn’t on this list) it does so in a way that, while VERY shonen, doesn’t feel FORCED.

*Cough cough gag coughfairytail*

Number 1-

Honestly, if I even have to explain why Dragonball/Z/Super in the king of long-running anime, let me just put it to you this way...

Not only is it STILL ongoing, the story world keeps growing (Hopefully that won’t lead to a new depth of ridiculousness), characters are still growing and being developed, and this show has impacted the lives of countless people for over twenty years that no other show can claim or keep up with (I mean, to be fair it was one of the first anime that America was not only exposed to, but truly latched onto)

And come on.

You’ve shouted Kamehameha inside your house when nobody else was home before. Acted out the firing pose and everything. Don’t even try to lie.

Everybody has.

No doubt somebody is upset that Fairy Tail is not on the list. Someone’s probably mad Bleach isn’t on here either, but I mentioned that filler and how it was handled played a factor so they probably realize that’s why.

But Fairy Tail...I’ll explain this the best I can.

While the three shows above are certainly VERY SHONEN shows, Fairy Tail ramps it up to eleven. Does that make Fairy Tail bad? No. What makes Fairy Tail fall flat to me is that it’s too heavy-handed and there like nothing is ever really at stake.

While at first Natsu had promise, his overwhelming lack of growth as a character makes him extremely boring after a few seasons of seeing him be the only character who can actually defeat arc villains. Natsu quickly devolves into a Mary Sue who steals growth from other, more rounded characters (Erza, Gray, and Lucy usually).

The other major problem with Fairy Tail is...nobody ever dies. Except Simon.

And guess what?

That’s a running joke in the fandom.

...It is not a haha kind of joke.

Characters can be beaten, stabbed, sliced, shot...anything...

But, nope, oh they’ll be fine.

Rinse, repeat.

Rinse, repeat.

If you think dragonball has no stakes because of the dragon balls, imagine if it was like Fairy Tail. No dragon balls because they DON’T EVER HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT GETTING KILLED, JUST BEAT UP BAD.

Fairy Tail not being comfortable with having characters die, WHILE PRETENDING THAT THEIR LIVES ARE ACTUALLY IN DANGER BUT IT ALWAYS “JUST WORKING OUT” SO THAT NOBODY DIES EVER, EVEN PEOPLE WHOSE INJURIES WOULD, IN FACT, KILL THEM.

...Fairy Tail started out so strong but ended up floundering and even now, its fanbase has shrunk to a fraction of what it once was. I used to LOVE Fairy Tail. I used to LOOK FORWARD to wear the series would go. I was on the Fairy Tail hype train when it derailed. I’m sad by how the show ended up only a shadow of what it could have been and how the whole show ends up feeling like wasted potential...

But let’s face it. That’s all it is now. A shadow of what could have been.

BONUS number 4-

Sailor Moon gets a shoutout for being there to show that being both feminine and badass is not only possible but pretty damn cool.

And if you disagree...I’m willing to bet you didn’t watch the dub where they let Rei and the other scouts swear.

[99percentprocrastination]

books read this week - 7/8/17

Last Night in Montreal by Emily St. John Mandel Winter by Marissa Meyer Fire by Kristin Cashore

My thoughts (including mild spoilers) below the cut ⤵️

Last Night in Montreal

This book is unlike anything I’ve read before. I picked it up because I read Station Eleven by the same author and loved it, so I wanted to check it out. And while they are two vastly different books, they are remarkably similar in many ways. Both are told in a disjointed, unchronological style that somehow feels utterly unique and completely controlled. Every thread fits together so perfectly, and each new revelation makes you reevaluate everything you’ve learned before.

I think Emily St. John Mandel is a wonderful storyteller and she can express big ideas amazingly well in subtle, thought-provoking ways. Where she falls short, I’ve found, is in her characters. Last Night in Montreal is centered around Lilia, who at first seemed a little “mysterious pixie dream girl”-esque. (Is that a thing? I’m making it a thing.) Of course, the first part of the book was mainly told from the POV of her boyfriend, which is exactly what he thought of her. But it didn’t exactly make her likable. None of the characters were particularly likable, and while I think that was kind of part of the point, it didn’t really endear me to any of them. I wasn’t even really rooting for Eli and Lilia to get what they wanted. But again, the characters were not the selling point of this novel.

Mandel’s language is stunning and breathtaking in ways that I don’t even know how to describe. Her descriptions of people and ordinary things were so vibrant. I loved the idea of untranslatable concepts and language differences, which fit so perfectly with the themes of the novel. It was one of those books where you had to set it down every now and then and stare at the ceiling, groaning, “This is so gooooood.” The whole thing had a floaty, dreamlike feeling; I read the book in two days and when I set it down I felt like I was waking up from a very strange and surreal dream. (I mean, even more so than I usually do when I finish a book.)

This was a fairly slow paced book, mostly because it kept skipping back and forth in time. Not a lot happened in the course of its 200-something pages, but it definitely leaves an impression on you. The ending shook me up. It’s not a particularly optimistic book about the nature of humanity, but it doesn’t leave you feeling hopeless or drifting. Not particularly memorable characters, but definitely memorable story and ideas.

Winter

And with this book, I finished The Lunar Chronicles! I wanted so, so much to love this series. And I did like it, truly. It was entertaining. Heck, I read the last 400 pages of this book in one night, which I wouldn’t have done if I didn’t like it. But I just didn’t love it.

The things I did love were these:

Oh man, I always love a good old heist story, and that comprised most of this book. Characters working together even after every single one of their plans goes wrong, continually regrouping and coming up with new plans to keep going forward. YES!

Cinder. Is. The. Best. DEFINITELY my favorite of the main characters. One of my favorite moments in the whole book was when she went through a traumatic experience that almost killed her and she passes out and when she wakes up her friends tell her that she’s under a lot of stress and she’s like “stress?? What weak shit is this???” I love her.

I also love Kai so much. And Iko. And Winter! At first I wasn’t sure what to make of her, but I came to love her. She’s so endearing and adorable and brave. I just wanted everything to be okay for her.

The ending was extremely satisfying. It may have had something to do with the fact that it was 2 in the morning when I finished it, but I was tearing up a little when everything just came together and the world was finally right. It felt good.

The things that I didn’t like so much:

Most of the romantic relationships in the book (and throughout the series). I continued to not care very much about Scarlet and Wolf. I thought for most of the book that Wolf was going to die at some point, and honestly I think it would have been more interesting if he had. The happy endings for everyone felt almost…too neat? I know; I’m awful that I wanted a sadder ending. What can I say? The most interesting thing about Scarlet was her friendship with Winter, and it could have been so cool to see her turning to this friendship if Wolf died and she felt like she had nothing else.

Also, most of the relationships felt almost too similar and trite. “I like him but does he like me back? Does he like someone else? We can’t talk about this though because we’re bad at communicating and in the middle of a war!” I wish there had been a little more variation between the relationships in some way.

These are very nitpicky things, of course. I truly enjoyed the book and the series, but I didn’t love it like I hoped I would. Ah, well.

Fire

This was a reread because I’m revisiting some of my old favorite books this summer. And oh boy. I read this book sometime in high school, and now that I’m a little older I feel like I can appreciate it so much more. This is a damn good book. Do you ever read a book and think, “Wow, I really wish I had written this”? Yeah.

I spent an inordinate amount of time going through negative goodreads reviews for this book and seething quietly because they completely didn’t understand this book. A lot of them were complaining about how much “adult” content/themes there is. Which, yeah, I can understand. It’s pretty adult for a YA novel. Lots of people having affairs and illegitimate children; the main character was essentially in a friends-with-benefits relationship. But the point wasn’t to condone these behaviors. It wasn’t even to condemn them. It was to show that people are messy, people make mistakes, but people can ultimately be forgiven. Some characters that we’re supposed to dislike do these things, as do characters that we love. It showed these behaviors honestly; how they could hurt people as well as lead to beautiful things like children that we love. And for heaven’s sake, the mentions of Fire’s period were not unnecessary, because women have periods and it was important for this character in this world!

Anyways. I’ll get off my soapbox now.

Honestly, I just adore fantasy stories that are ultimately about people. Even though this took place in a fantastical world with magical creatures, and even though our MC was only half human, the whole thing is essentially about love. At least, that’s what I took away from the whole thing. All of these characters were flawed and often made bad choices, but they still learned to love each other and forgive each other. The way the relationships developed was so beautiful. I honest to God had butterflies in my stomach during some of Fire and Brigan’s later scenes.

Fire was such an easy character to love. At first, she seems like the perfect recipe for a Mary Sue: the most beautiful woman in the land who everyone can’t help but love, who is a master musician and can control people with her mind. But she’s incredibly multi-faceted and complex and you can’t help but root for her desperate desires for people to not hate her for who she is. And just because she doubts herself and sometimes makes the wrong decisions doesn’t make her weak! *glares at goodreads reviewers*

Also, I’m so glad that Archer was used to subvert the usual YA trope of the possessive, jealous boyfriend. At first, that’s what he is (sort of), but Fire doesn’t allow any of this behavior and ultimately breaks off their relationship because of the way he acts. Instead, Fire ends up with Brigan, who is basically the exact opposite of those harmful tropes. Archer and Fire’s relationship was complex and messy, but it was made clear from the beginning that the way he treated her was not okay.

Although this book was a little slow paced at times, and I don’t love it as much as I love Graceling (which owns my heart and soul), it’s still an incredible novel about love and war and the terrible mistakes people can make. I can’t wait to reread Bitterblue!

[luminisvii]

So it’s pretty late right now and I’m liberally using the Bold function, but let’s talk about bad fanfiction.

Usually the first thing that springs to mind when it comes to bad fanfiction is My Immortal. Anyone who’s talked to me for more than five minutes knows that My Immortal is undoubtedly one of my favorite pieces of literature. And that’s not a joke, I think it’s an absolute masterpiece of bad. The misspellings, the reworkings of the characters to be goth/scene in an incredibly middle school way, to Marty McFly’s cameo to the chapter written by a self proclaimed troll--It’s a perfect storm of bad literature that makes for a hilarious read. I won’t get into a huge tangent but what makes My Immortal so funny is it has a certain level of naturalness to its writing where you’re never quite sure how serious the author is. The true joke is the mystery. We’ll never know who wrote the infamous fic and how serious they were when they did.

However, My Immortal is kind of scratching the surface. See, that’s a fic that’s actually funny bad. Most bad fanfiction is bad bad. Today, I intend to discuss the lesser known fanfic that I rank as being one of the most difficult reading experiences I ever had, and I only successfully pulled through after many years thanks to the love and support of my friends and us reading it out loud at 4 AM.

That fanfic is known as My Inner Life. Don’t let the title fool you, it was written well before our favorite goff showcase and it’s honestly a whole lot worse. This Legend of Zelda fic, written by one Jen and based on her dreams, features a young lady named Jenna who is a simple merchant traveling in Hyrule when one Link catches her eye and it goes downhill from there. The short version is that there’s a lot of overly dramatic sex, tedious clothes descriptions that include too many triforces, poor treatment of horses, Jenna getting praised and lavished with attention for no reason, and no research put into the lore.  After a while it straight up forgets about being an Ocarina of Time fanfic and launches off into some nonsense about griffins and an evil lord I can’t actually remember the name of (It was very late and I was very tired so I called him Lord Asshole after a while, it has the same effect) and also that The Griffins, who live just beyond the Black Mountains, do not trust easily.

If you wish to read it, you should probably quit now, but if you are too weak (which is honestly understandable) here’s my recounting of the story.

Where to start is a little bit hard, but a good place is the insane 2,000 word author’s note at the beginning. Jen, seemingly unaware of how thin skinned she’s being, goes on about how anyone who leaves her a negative review is being is immature and thin-skinned. Here’s a delightful excerpt that shows the author’s view on all of this!

“Also as a side note, I NEVER physically hurt ANYONE with this story. I got one reviewer that said. “Oh God please stop writing, your hurting everyone.” Now I want to know where I physically touched that person. I want to know how I’m twisting anyone’s arms to read this. I have never done anything of the sort in any way, shape or form and I DO NOT appreciate being accused of that! If you’re emotionally hurt over this, its your fault not mine.”

She spends quite a bit of time talking about how reviewers need to be more mature as she dedicates that much time to complaining about negative reviews and methodically rebuking everything they say from her poor grammar to Jenna being a Mary Sue. Now, props to the author for straight up saying that Jenna is the obvious author avatar that she is--Jenna is simply the dream persona of Jen, which okay, fine, that is not that bad. It’s what happens with Jenna that really makes me want to drink.

The other majorly telling factor is the first line of the story itself.

“Dreams come in many forms. Some good, some bad, some very realistic, even ones that feels very real.”

You may have noticed a redundancy there. That is only the beginning. If you get tired of hearing about the same things repeatedly, you will be VERY tired very quickly in here. Jen likes to constantly explain things to the point where she has footnotes in the story, and just after citing a footnote she explains what was cited in text anyway so now you have a double explanation.

“A tale of love, passion, despair and hope. I enjoyed my inner life. I looked forward to going to sleep to it every night. And I look forward to ones that will come, because LOVE WILL NEVER DIE.”

I love quoting that. I’m also not sleeping so I guess I don’t know the meaning of true love.

Anything beyond this point is where I start to die because I actually grew up playing Ocarina of Time and I’m quite well versed in its lore, so if you are too this is going to be about as pleasant as root canal.

Since me recounting everything in detail means we’d be here into the next year, I’m going to try to boil this down to its essence. TL;DR: Jenna meets Link and they fuck. Badly. A month later and they’re getting married so they can fuck more. This whole time you have King Hyrule who is treating a random merchant off the street better than Zelda, the Sages are just inexplicably back despite now residing in the Sacred Realm. Zelda also inherently gives up the throne because she will not marry and thus is no longer in the line of succession but this random guy from Kokiri Forest who married a random merchant is! Ruto is turned into a jealous harpy and the other sages hardly appear at all.

After they get married they go to the part where I quit the first time I started reading this fic which was the Bonding Ceremony. If getting married to a guy you met a month ago wasn’t enough, going to a monastery and getting telepathically bonded by drinking his piss sure is. Okay, it’s not JUST the piss drinking, but that was enough to make poor 2014 me stop trying and go lie down. They also fuck in front of the monks because that’s a thing straight people do, I guess.

Somewhere in there Jenna gets pregnant and has a child. She names the child Link Jr. I don’t have anything to say about that, I think it’s comedy in itself. On top of that Epona also gets pregnant so they get new horses named Midnight Star and Star Dancer. That’s not an important detail at all, my friend simply hates those horse names and I’m bringing them up on the off chance that she reads this.

Oh yeah, Dark Link is an antagonist at one point and he inexplicably talks exactly like a stereotypical villain and ties Link and Jenna up in a room and leaves them there for no reason like a small time crook leaving Batman in a cage with all his gizmos nearby. And turns out Jenna has magical powers and is from some ancient race of super people or whatever. They have to explain this over and over again in the same few paragraphs and I want to die.

Beyond all the bad sex that has tiger metaphors (Somehow Jen knows how tigers fuck) there’s the Original Material which had me crying more than the tragedy that was the remain of OoT’s story. Once we get tired of Link and Jenna’s love story and Tiger Sex, there’s suddenly an invasion from Lord Ariakas who is threatening the Griffins who live beyond the Black Mountains, just a day’s ride from Hyrule. He’s just some evil guy who threatens the Griffins, who do not trust easily, and who live near The Black Mountains. If you think redundancy is painful then prepare for the worst redundancy you’ve seen yet. I went insane when we were reading this and tallied all the times The Black Mountains are mentioned and turns out it was a whole lot less than I thought, but almost all of them happened in a short amount of time so it felt like an eternity of explaining The Black Fucking Mountains. Turns out I’m a masochist of sorts because this STILL didn’t shake me off. In order to repel Lord Arakias’ forces, Link and Jenna need to talk to the Griffins who like to make a big deal about how they don’t trust anyone as they instantly trust Jenna and let her into their royal court to give her support and magical gifts. It’s kind of incredible how Jenna does nothing and is constantly rewarded for it.

Sadly this ends in a cliffhanger, like all good terrible fanfics. But that’s a semi-coherent retelling of the actual plot. It takes way too long to explain any of these plot points in story. Characters constantly repeat themselves, there’s a bunch of small plot points I left out because we’d REALLY be here all year if we talked about this, there’s the original material where I have to give credit that she went and did this BUT ALSO DID YOU HAVE TO EXPLAIN THIS MANY TIMES WHAT THE BLACK FUCKING MOUNTAINS ARE AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH

I’m not okay. Time for some deeper analysis of particularly notable parts.

The sex scenes are sadly some of the less entertaining sections. They’re pretty boring for the most part, but then you have shit like “I turned tigress” and my personal favorite, “when I took his nut sack and caressed it with my hand, it was his undoing.” That exact sentence shows up TWICE in the fic, same wording and everything. Remember this, ladies, next time you have sex with a man, caress his nut sack. It’ll be his undoing. It’s not just the silly wording, though, there’s some stupid stuff in there too about how having sex makes your children stronger and also exactly how much fluid Jenna is ejecting which is a little bit alarming to say the least. Otherwise they’re a bit bland and use the same flowery language that you’d expect from poorly written erotica. Also they fuck in front of a bunch of monks. It’s for the bonding.

If you’re into LoZ lore then you’re going to have a bad time, too. My favorite thing is showing people the segment where Jenna explains how the OoT timeskip works because it makes zero sense to everyone, OoT fan or not. Let’s take a quick history lesson for OoT if you’re not familiar with it. In Ocarina of Time, a major plot point and element of gameplay is that Link travels between past and future in a seven year gap. From Link’s point of view, the change is instantaneous, right down to the fact that his age changes from child to adult and vice versa. To everyone else, they’re living those seven years. Time continues without Link there to observe it, and in Link’s absence Hyrule collapses. Thus is the plot--trying to stop Ganondorf from destroying the future with a power that Link and Zelda accidentally gave him. The point is all Non-Link people experience time normally, and the world moves on.

Somehow Jenna missed something that I inherently understood when I was a wee child of 8, barely able to play Ocarina of Time due to poor reading comprehension and lack of Zelda Puzzle Solving Skills™.

“Gannondorf tricked the soon to be "Hero of Time" into unlocking the door to the Sacred Realm. I even noticed that Zelda was a little older then I. Last I saw her she was four years younger then me. It was told to me that when Gannondorf went into the Temple of Time and into the Scared Realm, time jumped ahead in Hyrule seven years. Yet only two years passed in my land. And in the rest of the world.

After the "Hero of Time" defeated the King of Evil, the hero was granted to either return to the past or to remain in the present time. Since he chose to remain in the present Zelda jumped ahead of me in age by four years.  It seems that everyone in Hyrule jumped in age from the rest of the world.”

I’m not sure I really understand still. I’ve read this so many times trying to comprehend and maybe I’m just stupid but this doesn’t scan. But when you time travel it should affect the whole world or else that’d be pretty fucked. Back To The Future would be pretty wack if only Hill Valley was sent back to the 50s but everywhere else was still 80s.

God, I spent too much time on this. It still hurts my brain.

I also just have to have a section where I metaphorically hand Zelda a box of chocolates and a check for 5,000 dollars for even being in this mess. The real MVP of the story is Zelda for tolerating all this bullshit. She has to watch her father treat Jenna better than her, she gives Jenna a bracelet from her mother who is dead for Jenna’s wedding, she has to passively accept that because she isn’t married she’s lost her claim to the throne and it’s being handed over to Link and Jenna because despite both of them being nobodies they’re more legitimate heirs to the throne than the king’s own daughter. She also has to be the one to help Jenna birth her baby and it’s maybe a little bit weird to have the princess of a nation be your personal midwife. Even if she is your so called best friend. Were I ever in the circumstances of giving birth, I wouldn’t make my friends help. Please get an actual nurse. Also for some reason Jenna won’t stop calling her baby a miracle and it’s done so frequently it’s a little off-putting. Even the chapter where the child is born is called “The Miracle” like idk I know life is mysterious and miraculous but I’m not sure giving birth, something a lot of cis woman can do, is a “miracle.” Me not sobbing while reading this is a miracle. Zelda, honey, you deserve so much better.

I’m running out of things that will actually last a paragraph or so tangent wise, so time to wrap things up with smaller notes:

-Jenna thinks that you boot horses in the knees to get them moving. You are probably not riding a horse right if you can kick it in the knees while sitting on its back. That’s not even getting into other horse related mishaps like the fact that kneecapping them isn’t a good idea either.

-Link Jr. is capable of math at like, four months or something. I wish I was that talented.

-Ruto is my wife and I will not stand for this slander against her. Yeah, call me a fish fucker if you want, Sidon is cute too don’t @ me

-Take a shot every time Jenna mentions triforces on her outfit (actually don’t)

-Jenna makes a big deal about how Link has to go off to war and how she’ll miss him and he’ll miss her and it’s all very emotional but he’s back literally the next chapter

-One of my favorite moments is Mido rightfully pointing out that Jenna isn’t a Kokiri and thus has no right to receive a fairy but everyone thinks he’s being super rude for actually having common sense. They barely gave LINK a fairy and he grew up there!

-I inflicted this on my friends and it went as well as you’d think it would. Quote supplied by Jen who is not THAT Jen but a far superior one

-Somewhere in the fic suddenly Link and Zelda’s eyes are capable of changing color based on mood, or maybe they could do this the whole time and my eyes were changing based on mood alright, they were glazing over and I missed it

-Jen always types “threw” instead of “through” and it’s just enough to throw me off every time. Also every time a character starts a new sentence she starts another set of quotations even if they were already talking and occasionally she misspells “huge” as “hugh” which leads to some hilarious circumstances

-THEY DRANK EACH OTHER’S PISS

-Apparently when you are telepathically bonded with your Husband/Wife you aren’t allowed to be in a room with someone of the opposite sex AT ALL. Personally I think that reeks of insecurity

-Also because a good pal loses her shit every time we mention it, Jen couldn’t come up with a marriage ceremony that wasn’t just a christian one for a universe where christianity doesn’t exist, but she sure likes to put world building into those DAMN GRIFFINS

All in All? My Inner Life is not for the weak willed. It is INCREDIBLY long and redundant and while it’s still pretty funny, it’s mostly plain terrible. I consider is a much better showcase of what bad fanfiction is actually like, and also since it’s of a more standard awful, it means people can’t badly parody it while missing the point as to why it’s funny. So at least there will only be one My Inner Life and no imitators.

Seriously, I hate My Immortal imitators. Write your own terrible fanfiction, damn you! If I had a shot for every time a fanfic was compared to My Immortal I would be dead six years ago. Getting compared to MI is not a good thing, but not for the reasons you’d think. At least My Inner Life only shares the basic premise of a self insert character and the rest is a ride of complete bullshit that’s par the course for terrible Mary Sue fiction. Everyone loves Jenna for no reason and those who voice the valid concerns against her are seen as unreasonable and stupid. Characters are bent backwards to serve the threadbare plot and apparently Jenna’s love life alone is enough to constitute half of the story before we just plain forget it’s a Legend of Zelda fanfic and it goes off into some generic high fantasy horse crap with dragons and Griffins and some evil guy like what even is his name and it all ends without any real closure.

However if you are strong enough or maybe just a masochist (me) I highly recommend this fic for just being a test of endurance and also for all the funny little moments sprinkled throughout. It’ll certainly be a waste of time and it’s a good thing to read with friends. While it’s an oldie, it’s a goodie, and no one comes out unscathed.

Also the author apparently is a good sport about it now, although who knows. It’s just a thing I heard. While I like making fun of Jen throughout reading the fic, she doesn’t seem awful. Just perhaps young and unaware.

Truly, the real treasure was the piss we drank along the way. I’m sorry I will never be over that